WORK AND PENSIONS

Charities

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what grants her Department made to charitable organisations in each of the last five years.

Jonathan R Shaw: The only grant payments made to a charitable organisation by the Department for Work and Pensions are those made to Motability, which is a charitable organisation with overall responsibility for the Motability scheme. More information about Motability can be found at:
	www.motability.co.uk
	Grant payments to Motability for the last five years are shown in the table.
	
		
			   £000 
			 2004-05 2,551 
			 2005-06 2,640 
			 2006-07 2,809 
			 2007-08 2,960 
			 2008-09 3,814

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

Michael Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what criteria have been agreed with examining doctors for the diagnosis of osteoarthritis of the knee in coal miners and former coal miners; and what steps her Department has taken to advise examining doctors of these criteria.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 28 October 2009
	ATOS Healthcare has provided guidance to the examining doctors about the diagnosis and assessment of osteoarthritis of the knee in underground coal miners which takes account of the recommendations of the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council.
	Following receipt of a claim, a Jobcentre Plus decision maker will decide whether the claimant satisfies the occupational criteria for the prescribed disease. If the prescription is satisfied, a referral is made to ATOS Healthcare who will request any previous X-rays and/or any relevant hospital letters relating to the condition. All claimants are subsequently examined by a doctor working for ATOS Healthcare. The doctor will, through a combination of history and examination findings, provide advice to the decision maker as to whether the condition is diagnosed, and if it is, on the level of disablement with reference to a person of the same age and sex whose physical and mental condition is normal.

Industrial Health and Safety: Materials Handling Equipment

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if she will make a statement on the frequency of the checks made on cranes by crane operators.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 20 October 2009
	Cranes are subject to the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 and the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998; these two sets of legislation between them provide a regime requiring inspection, maintenance and thorough examination of cranes.
	A thorough examination of a crane is required before first use, and thereafter at least every 12 months (six months if the crane is used for carrying people) unless alteration, damage or any other conditions make an increased frequency of examination necessary. The examination must be carried out by a competent person who is appropriately qualified and experienced. Where, during a thorough examination, a serious defect is detected, a report has to be sent by the competent person to the enforcing authority within 28 days.
	Inspection and maintenance checks must also be carried out, between thorough examinations. The frequency and extent of the checks are not specified by the regulations; these will depend on the potential risks from the equipment, the crane manufacturer's recommendations and the conditions encountered on site.

Industrial Health and Safety: Materials Handling Equipment

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the frequency with which crane operators undertake checks on the cranes under their control; whether self-erected cranes are to be included in the register; and if she will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 20 October 2009
	All cranes used at work are subject to the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 and the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998; these two sets of legislation between them provide a regime requiring inspection, maintenance and thorough examination of cranes. Health and Safety Executive inspectors consider routinely compliance with this regime when undertaking both planned inspection and incident investigation.
	A consultation document setting out proposals for a statutorily-based registration scheme for tower cranes was published on 13 July this year. The consultation closed on 16 October 2009 and the responses are being analysed. The HSE Board will consider the results of the consultation at its meeting on 25 November 2009, including whether self-erected tower cranes should be included in its scope.

Industrial Health and Safety: Materials Handling Equipment

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what qualifications persons carrying out pre-use checks on cranes are required to hold; and if she will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 20 October 2009
	Under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) 1998, a thorough examination of a crane is required before first use, and thereafter at least every 12 months (six months if the crane is used for carrying people) unless alteration, damage or any other conditions make an increased frequency of examination necessary. The examination must be carried out by a competent person who is appropriately qualified and experienced.
	The Approved Code of Practice under LOLER requires that the person carrying out the thorough examination has appropriate practical and theoretical knowledge and experience of the lifting equipment to be thoroughly examined, but does not specify particular qualifications to be held by the competent person.

Industrial Health and Safety: Materials Handling Equipment

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the Health and Safety Executive plans to introduce its statutory register for tower cranes; and if she will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 20 October 2009
	The HSE is committed to having a statutorily-based scheme for tower crane registration in place by the date of common commencement in April 2010.
	A consultation document setting out proposals for a statutorily-based registration scheme was published on 13 July this year. The consultation closed on 16 October and the responses are being analysed. The HSE Board will consider the results of the consultation at its meeting on 25 November.

Pensioners: Social security benefits

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 21 July 2009,  Official Report, column 1321W, on pensioners: social security benefits, if she will update her estimate based upon the rate of capital disregard to be introduced in November 2009.

Angela Eagle: The following table shows the estimated cost of assuming different illustrative Bank of England rates of around 0.5 per cent. and 5 per cent. (averaged over a year), with and without the £10,000 capital disregard for pension credit, housing benefit and council tax benefit.
	
		
			  Estimated annual cost of tariff income set at approximately 1 per cent. higher than Bank of England base rate for pension credit, housing benefit and council tax benefit (20 09- 10 prices) 
			  Illustrative BoE rate (percentage)  Rate applied to income above the disregard (percentage)  (i) Cost keeping current disregard (£ million)  (ii) Cost removing current disregard (£ million) 
			 0.5 1.5 300 170 
			 5 6 130 -220 
			  Notes: 1. These estimates have been calculated using the Policy Simulation Model (PSM) which uses data from the Family Resources Survey (FRS). Estimates are subject to sampling and modelling uncertainty. 2. Estimates are given for two possible average rates to illustrate their sensitivity to actual Bank of England base rates. 3. Income taken into account is rounded up to the next £1. 4. In column (i) the interest rate is applied to capital above the capital disregard. 5. Estimates do not include the cost of applying the rules to those in care/nursing homes. 6. Costs have been rounded to the nearest £10 million.

PRIME MINISTER

Devolution

Rob Marris: To ask the Prime Minister how many times he met in a formal capacity the  (a) First Minister of Scotland,  (b) First Minister of Wales,  (c) First Minister of Northern Ireland and  (d) Leader of the West Midlands Regional Assembly in (i) 2004-05, (ii) 2005-06, (iii) 2006-07, (iv) 2007-08 and (v) 2008-09; and how many times he has so met the Minister for the West Midlands since his appointment.

Gordon Brown: I have regular meetings and discussions with ministerial colleagues and others.

Employment: EC Law

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with representatives of trade unions on implementing the EU Agency Workers Directive in the UK in 2011;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with  (a) the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and  (b) the Minister for Employment Relations on implementing the EU Agency Workers Directive in (a) 2009, (b) 2010 and (c) 2011;
	(3)  what discussions he has had with  (a) members and  (b) representatives of (i) the CBI, (ii) the EEF and (iii) British Chambers of Commerce on implementing the EU Agency Workers Directive in the UK in 2011.

Gordon Brown: I have regular meetings with ministerial colleagues and a variety of organisations, representing employees and employers, to discuss a wide range of matters, including employment issues. I have made clear my commitment to legislate on the implementation of the agency workers directive.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Animal Welfare: Prosecutions

Frank Field: To ask the Solicitor-General how many prosecutions for offences of cruelty to animals were brought by  (a) the Crown Prosecution Service and  (b) the Royal Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in the last five years.

Vera Baird: The figures at Table 1 show the number of offences of cruelty to animals in respect of which a prosecution was brought by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in each of the last five years.
	Also, at Table 2, are figures showing the number of defendants (not offences) prosecuted by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) over the same period. RSPCA prosecutions are broken down to show the number and the proportion resulting in conviction and in dismissal, but no comparable analysis is available for the figures recorded by the CPS.
	
		
			  Table 1: Crown Prosecution Service-Offences of Cruelty to Animals in which a prosecution commenced 
			   2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Total animal cruelty offences charged(1) 222 214 227 273 240 
			 (1) Source: CPS Management Information System 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Royal Society for the Pre vention of Cruelty to Animals- Defendant prosecuted for Cruelty to Animals 
			   2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			   Number  %  Number  %  Number  %  Number  %  Number  % 
			 Convictions 870 95.8 980 96.7 898 95.7 1,104 97.2 1,222 97.6 
			 Dismissals 38 4.2 33 3.3 40 4.3 32 2.8 30 2.4 
			 Total defendants prosecuted(1) 908 - 1,013 - 938 - 1,136 - 1,252 - 
			 (1) Source: RSPCA

Domestic Violence

Vincent Cable: To ask the Solicitor-General how many  (a) arrests,  (b) prosecutions and  (c) convictions of (i) men and (ii) women for acts of domestic violence there were in (A) Twickenham constituency, (B) Richmond-upon-Thames and (C) London in each of the last five years.

Vera Baird: The arrests collection held by the Home Office covers arrests for recorded crime (notifiable offences) only, broken down at a main offence group level, covering categories such as violence against the person and robbery. From these centrally reported data it is not possible to identify specific offences from within the main offence groups.
	Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) data in London are only available at borough level and cannot be broken down further. We are therefore unable to provide the data for the Twickenham constituency as requested, as this would incur disproportionate cost (Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, part 2, clause 9).
	In the London borough of Richmond there were 15 domestic violence prosecutions in 2005-6, 74 prosecutions in 2006-7, 92 prosecutions in 2007-8, 101 prosecutions in 2008-9 and in the first 6 months of 2009-10 there have been 82 prosecutions for domestic violence.
	During the course of these last five years, there have been 364 cases prosecuted. Of these, only 13 cases have involved female defendants; 350 have involved male defendants; and in one case the gender was not recorded. There were 226 successful prosecutions out of the 364 cases prosecuted.
	In the CPS London Area in 2005-6 there were 4,968 prosecutions for domestic violence, in 2006-7 there were 6,292, in 2007-8 there were 6,688, in 2008-9 there were 7193 and in the first six months of 2009-10 there have been 4,035 prosecutions for domestic violence.
	Of these 29,176 prosecutions, 1,320 relate to female defendants; 27,847 relate to male defendants; and in nine cases the gender was not recorded. There were 16,753 successful prosecutions out of the 29,176 cases prosecuted.

Fraud: Convictions

Bob Spink: To ask the Solicitor-General how many convictions for offences of fraud in relation to corporate tax there were in  (a) the UK,  (b) the East of England region,  (c) Essex and  (d) Castle Point constituency in each of the last 10 years.

Vera Baird: Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office was established in April 2005 as an independent prosecuting authority in England and Wales.
	We are therefore unable to provide information prior to that date nor earlier than that indicated below. Nor can we provide statistics relating to the whole of the United Kingdom since we do not prosecute in Scotland or Northern Ireland.
	In our reply we have defined fraud in relation to corporate tax as prosecutions for VAT and Direct Tax offences.
	The following table indicates the number of convictions in England and Wales, the East of England region and Essex. We are unable to provide details relating specifically to Castle Point constituency.
	
		
			   England and Wales  East of England( 1)  Essex 
			 2009-10(2) 55 14 7 
			 2008-09 150 28 15 
			 2007-08 226 32 21 
			 2006-07 172 8 7 
			 (1) Prosecutions conducted in courts in the following counties: Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. (2) This information covers the 6 month period April to September 2009 only 
		
	
	It should be noted that simply because a conviction is recorded in the East of England or Essex, it does not follow that either the crime or the defendants are linked with that area. For example, a case could have been moved there by HM Court Service for logistical reasons.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Biodiversity Targets

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress his Department has made towards meeting its 2010 biodiversity targets; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: We have made good progress on all of our biodiversity priorities. In particular, 89 per cent. of Sites of Special Scientific Interest are now in favourable or recovering condition; agri-environment schemes are leading to significant improvements; we have made great strides on the Marine and Coastal Access Bill; and internationally we continue to support a wide range of conservation projects through our Darwin Initiative.

Household Waste

Martin Linton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking together with local authorities to ensure household waste is dealt with effectively.

Dan Norris: We have worked with local authorities to make great improvements in effectively managing household waste over the last 10 years: recycling rates have more than quadrupled.
	We recognise there is still much more to do and the Government will continue to work with local authorities, and others, to move towards a zero waste nation.

Grain Farmers: Income

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the average income of grain farmers in each of the last three years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The average farm business income for cereal farmers in England was £73,400 in 2007-08, up from £45,900 the year before.
	Figures for 2008-09 are published today.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cattle diagnosed with bovine tuberculosis were slaughtered in the most recent month for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cattle were slaughtered following a diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis in the most recent month for which figures are available.

Jim Fitzpatrick: In July 2009 2,350 cattle in GB were slaughtered as TB reactors or inconclusive reactors. A further 45 were slaughtered as direct contacts.
	It should be remembered that TB is a chronic disease, and as such, the long-term trend is more significant than looking at any short-term trends.

European Habitats Directive

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what responsibility he has for enforcement of the provisions of the European Habitats Directive; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Secretary of State's powers to enforce the implementation of the European Habitats Directive are set out in the 1994 Habitats Regulations. These include powers under regulations 22 and 23 to make Special Nature Conservation Orders specifying operations likely to destroy or damage sites protected under the directive, and to serve a notice on any person carrying out or proposing to carry out such an operation which has the effect of prohibiting such an operation.

Bluefin Tuna

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on preservation of bluefin tuna.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Bluefin tuna was the subject of a Commission presentation and statements by member states at the October Council of Fisheries Ministers in preparation for the annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas. I have stated previously that UK supports CITES listing for this species. However, in line with the common EU position, I look forward to ICCAT coming forward with appropriate management measures to reflect the latest stock position. I have made clear to EU colleagues that this is a critical issue and a test of ICCAT's credibility.

Departmental Catering

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer of 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1595W, how much subsidy his Department received in respect of externally contracted catering services for staff in each of the last five years.

Dan Norris: From information held centrally, the subsidy paid in respect of externally contracted catering services for staff in the core-Department in each of the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			  April to March each year  £ 
			 2005-06 172,440 
			 2006-07 172,440 
			 2007-08 192,594 
			 2008-09 169,372 
			 2009-10 186,072 
		
	
	The year on year figures are not a comparable series because over the periods identified there have been changes to the number of sites offering catering services to staff, changes to catering facilities to accommodate increased throughput and rationalisation of suppliers down to one for all current core-DEFRA sites.

Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the Navigator waste infrastructure study results.

Dan Norris: A copy of the Navigator waste infrastructure study results will be made available in the House Library.

Food: Packaging

Eric Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of categories of products which are presented for sale in unnecessary packaging; and if he will make a statement.

Dan Norris: There is no fixed definition of what constitutes 'unnecessary packaging'; decisions have to be made on a case by case basis and as such these decisions will only be relevant to that particular product.
	However, one way of identifying opportunities for packaging reductions is to use benchmarking tools such as the Waste and Resources Action Programme's "Best in Class" database. This database compares a range of packaging solutions used for the same product and ranks them from the lightest to the heaviest. We encourage all users of packaging to make use of this data when specifying packaging. Action on the basis of this information is often taken at the sector level through voluntary agreements e.g. the Courtauld Commitment, or can be taken by individual packaging producers.

Greyhounds

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will bring forward proposals for a central database to trace the lifespan of each greyhound bred for racing.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 28 October 2009
	We have no plans to bring forward such proposals. However, we will be introducing a requirement that all racing greyhounds must be micro-chipped, with the details of the owner placed on one of the existing microchip databases.

Ragwort

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department has taken to remove ragwort  (a) in Eddisbury constituency and  (b) nationally in 2009; and what estimate he has made of the proportion of ragwort which has been removed.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Natural England investigates complaints about injurious weeds on behalf of DEFRA. During 2009, Natural England has issued 189 enforcement notices under the Weeds Act 1959 requiring occupiers to take action to prevent injurious weeds spreading to neighbouring land. Of these 189 enforcement notices, 15 were issued by the Natural England office in Worcester which covers the Eddisbury constituency area. It is not possible to be specific about the number issued for the Eddisbury constituency, nor is it possible to provide an estimate of what proportion of ragwort has been removed because this information is not held centrally.

Recycling: Greater London

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of its targets for recycling waste each London borough achieved in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08.

Dan Norris: For the period in question, local authorities had one statutory recycling target consisting of two parts: Best Value Performance Indicators (BVPIs) 82a (household dry recycling rate) and 82b (household composting rate). Statutory recycling targets were set for 2005-06 and 2007-08, but not for 2006-07.
	The tables show the recycling and composting rate; the target for these combined rates; and whether it met the target or not and by how much for each of the 33 local authorities in London, for 2005-06 and 2007-08.
	
		
			   2007-08   
			  Authority  Dry recycling rate (BVPI 82a)  Com posting rate (BVPI 82b)  Recycling rate (82a+b)  Recycling and Composting Target  Met target  Percentage gap 
			 Bexley LB 24.03 17.62 41.64 30 Exceeded 11.64 
			 Tower Hamlets LB 12.89 0.15 13.04 20 Not met -6.96 
			 City of London 33.02 0.38 33.39 20 Exceeded 13.39 
			 Westminster City Council 21.88 0.84 22.72 20 Exceeded 2.72 
			 Redbridge LB 17.39 5.00 22.38 20 Exceeded 2.38 
			 Newham LB 12.34 2.06 14.40 20 Not met -5.60 
			 Havering LB 16.16 7.82 23.98 27 Not met -3.02 
			 Barking and Dagenham LB 14.83 5.58 20.41 20 Met 0.41 
			 Waltham Forest LB 19.69 10.05 29.74 20 Exceeded 9.74 
			 Islington LB 20.92 5.41 26.33 20 Exceeded 6.33 
			 Haringey LB 19.11 6.57 25.68 20 Exceeded 5.68 
			 Hackney LB 15.85 6.53 . 22.38 20 Exceeded 2.38 
			 Enfield LB 18.08 10.11 28.19 27 Exceeded 1.19 
			 Camden LB 23.89 3.23 27.12 30 Not met -2.88 
			 Barnet LB 18.26 12.42 30.68 27 Exceeded 3.68 
			 Southwark LB 16.01 4.02 20.02 20 Met 0.02 
			 Lewisham LB 21.40 0.58 21.99 30 Not met -8.01 
			 Greenwich LB 25.74 4.78 30.52 20 Exceeded 10.52 
			 Sutton LB 22.61 9.86 32.48 30 Exceeded 2.48 
			 Merton LB 23.33 3.75 27.08 21 Exceeded 6.08 
			 Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames 18.96 6.66 25.62 30 Not met -4.38 
			 Croydon LB 16.42 6.29 22.71 30 Not met -7.29 
			 Bromley LB 27.62 6.84 34.46 21 Exceeded 13.46 
			 Richmond upon Thames LB 24.60 11.54 36.14 20 Exceeded 16.14 
			 Hounslow LB 17.49 4.26 21.75 30 Not met -8.25 
			 Hillingdon LB 21.17 12.58 33.76 21 Exceeded 12.76 
			 Harrow LB 21.35 18.20 39.55 24 Exceeded 15.55 
			 Ealing LB 21.08 7.86 28.94 30 Not met -1.06 
			 Brent LB 12.08 8.90 20.98 20 Exceeded 0.98 
			 Wandsworth LB 24.37 0.29 24.66 24 Exceeded 0.66 
			 Lambeth LB 22.54 2.58 25.12 30 Not met -4.88 
			 Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea 27.03 0.90 27.93 21 Exceeded 6.93 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham LB 25.39 1.50 26.89 24 Exceeded 2.89 
		
	
	
		
			   2005-06   
			  Authority  Dry recycling rate (BVPI 82a)  Composting rate (BVPI 82b)  Recycling rate (82a+b)  Recycling and composting target  Met target  Percentage gap 
			 Bexley LB 21.5 16.21 37.71 30 Exceeded 7.71 
			 Tower Hamlets LB 8.85 0 8.85 18 Not met -9.15 
			 City of London 18.1 0 18.1 18 Met 0.1 
			 Westminster City Council 17.79 0.5 18.29 18 Met 0.29 
			 Redbridge LB 12.79 4.55 17.34 21 Not met -3.66 
			 Newham LB 8.63 1.5 10.13 18 Not met -7.87 
			 Havering LB 11.85 5.96 17.81 27 Not met -9.19 
			 Barking and Dagenham LB 12.18 4.42 16.6 18 Not met -1.4 
			 Waltham Forest LB 13.44 8.41 21.85 18 Exceeded 3.85 
			 Islington LB 15.7 2.59 18.29 18 Met 0.29 
			 Haringey LB 16.08 3.15 19.23 18 Exceeded 1.23 
			 Hackney LB 11.84 4.37 16.21 18 Not met -1.79 
			 Enfield LB 16.92 10.37 27.29 27 Met 0.29 
			 Camden LB 22.24 4.9 27.14 30 Not met -2.86 
			 Barnet LB 17.98 9.4.9 27.47 27 Met 0.47 
			 Southwark LB 11.55 3.41 14.96 18 Not met -3.04 
			 Lewisham LB 11.96 0.24 12.2 18 Not met -5.8 
			 Greenwich LB 18.16 3.5 21.66 18 Exceeded 3.66 
			 Sutton LB 20.21 8.86 29.07 30 Not met -0.93 
			 Merton LB 19.35 3.24 22.59 27 Not met -4.41 
			 Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames 17.41 6.56 23.97 30 Not met -6.03 
			 Croydon LB 12.99 3.18 16.17 30 Not met -13.8 
			 Bromley LB 22.79 4.46 27.25 21 Exceeded 6.25 
			 Richmond upon Thames LB 21.06 7.53 28.59 30 Not met -1.41 
			 Hounslow LB 15.74 3.51 19.25 30 Not met -10.8 
			 Hillingdon LB 16.3 11.4 27.7 21 Exceeded 6.7 
			 Harrow LB 13.66 13.04 26.7 24 Exceeded 2.7 
			 Ealing LB 15.36 3.92 19.28 30 Not met -10.7 
			 Brent LB 10.89 9.12 20.01 18 Exceeded 2.01 
			 Wandsworth LB 20.63 0.33 20.96 24 Not met -3.04 
			 Lambeth LB 18.96 3.19 22.15 21 Exceeded 1.15 
			 Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea 19.29 0.65 19.94 30 Not met -10.1 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham LB 21 0.49 21.49 24 Not met -2.51 
			  Source: WasteDataFlow

Rivers: Canoeing

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to increase access to rivers for canoeists.

Huw Irranca-Davies: We have been working, through our agencies, to provide better access to inland water for canoeists and other users.
	The Environment Agency's work on four pilot rivers aimed to increase understanding of access agreements and develop a toolkit for others to use, and shows what can be achieved by agreements. Over time there is scope for voluntary agreements to significantly increase the amount of inland water accessible to all.

TRANSPORT

Aviation: Carbon Emissions

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate he has made of the carbon footprint of an air passenger when travelling from London to New York in  (a) first,  (b) business and  (c) economy class.

Paul Clark: No estimates of the carbon footprint of an air passenger when travelling from London to New York in  (a) first,  (b) business and  (c) economy class have been made.
	The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in partnership with the Department for Energy and Climate Change, published guidance for businesses and organisations on how to measure and report their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in September 2009.
	Indicative emission factors, by seating class, were developed on the basis of the average area occupied compared to an economy class passenger. The factors are available at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/business/reporting/conversion-factors.htm

Departmental Public Expenditure

Bob Neill: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on whether funding allocated to his Department is to be re-allocated to the Department for Communities and Local Government to help implement the housing policies announced in the Draft Legislative Programme for 2009-10.

Chris Mole: The Secretary of State for the Department for Transport discussed his Department's contribution to the housing policies announced in the Draft Legislative Programme with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, as part of the process of publishing Building Britain's Future.

Eurostar: Cleaning Services

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport 
	(1)  when the Eurostar Carlisle Cleaning Group contract is to be renewed;
	(2)  what payments have been made by Eurostar to Carlisle Group in the last five years; and what payments are expected to be made in the next three years.

Chris Mole: The Department for Transport is not a party to the contract between Carlisle and Eurostar. However, details of the contract are publicly available from the Official Journal of the EU (218/2008). This indicates that a six-year contract was awarded on 2 October 2008 with a value of £14 million. The document is on the internet at the following address:
	http://www.dgmarket.com/tenders/np-notice.do~3237100
	In relation to payments made prior to that date, as the Department is not party to these contracts it has no information regarding their value.

Fire Services: Working Hours

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent guidance his Department has issued to fire and rescue services on the application of European Road Transport Working Time Regulation (EC) 561/2006 in respect of retained firefighters who drive vehicles and who also  (a) work as commercial drivers and  (b) work in other occupations.

Paul Clark: The EU Regulation on drivers' hours (Regulation (EC) 561/2006) prescribes maximum limits on driving time and minimum requirements for breaks and rest periods.
	The then Under-Secretary of State for Transport, my hon. Friend the Member for Poplar and Canning Town (Jim Fitzpatrick) met with the Retained Firefighters Union in November 2008 and explained that time spent on duty as a retained firefighter outside a driver's regular employment counts as other work rather than rest. As a result, the driver is required, in common with other drivers who have a second job, to declare it as a period of other work and ensure that the required daily and weekly rest periods are taken.

Local Transport Plans: Carbon Emissions

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport with reference to the guidance issued in July 2009 to local transport authorities on the production of local transport plans, by what percentage or other amount local transport authorities are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as a result of their local transport plans; and what proportion of those reductions is expected to be attributable to  (a) policies implemented under local transport plans and  (b) other factors.

Sadiq Khan: The performance of local authorities on transport, including CO2 emissions, is managed through the National Indicator Set and through Local Area Agreements. Of 152 local authorities, 102 have already selected National Indicator 186-measuring the per capita reduction in CO2 emissions-as a priority in their Local Area Agreement, demonstrating their commitment to reducing carbon emissions.
	Recent local transport plan guidance recognises that local authorities are particularly important partners in helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with our climate change goal for transport. The Government have a policy of devolving responsibility to local transport authorities so they can make the right choices for their local areas. It would therefore not be appropriate for Government to specify the amount of greenhouse gas emissions reductions expected from each authority.

Motor Vehicles: Norwich

Chloe Smith: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many vehicles were registered for  (a) personal and  (b) business use in Norwich, North constituency in (i) 1997, (ii) 2007 and (iii) 2009.

Paul Clark: The following table provides the number of privately- and company-owned vehicles in the Norwich, North constituency that were licensed at the end of the year in (i) 1997, (ii) 2007 and (iii) 2008. Data for 2009 are not available:
	
		
			   Privately-owned vehicles  Company-owned vehicles  Total 
			 1997 40,349 8,342 48,691 
			 2007 51,323 9,283 60,606 
			 2008 51,685 8,324 60,009 
		
	
	There are a number of vehicles in the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency database which have incomplete or inaccurate postcodes and therefore cannot be allocated to any constituency.

Motor Vehicles: Registration

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many  (a) passenger cars and  (b) light vans (i) were de-registered and (ii) had their registration certification annulled in the latest year for which information is available; and how many certificates of destruction were issued for end-of-life vehicles in the latest year for which information is available.

Paul Clark: The information sought is not held in the format requested. Separate figures are not recorded for passenger cars and light vans.
	In the financial year 2008-09:
	(a) the total number of vehicles destroyed was 1,109,574;
	(b) the total number of certificates of destruction issued was 1,026,054;
	(c) the total number of vehicles de-registered on the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency vehicle register was 909,653.

Railways: Environment Protection

Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what procedures are in place to encourage train operating companies to improve their environmental efficiency demands.

Chris Mole: In the 2007 rail White Paper "Delivering a Sustainable Railway", the Government committed to setting an environmental target for the railway in Control Period 5 (2014-19). This is under development.
	In addition, the Department for Transport has included environmental objectives in recent rail franchise specifications requiring operators to report on environmental performance and put in place measures to reduce environmental impacts. The rail industry also reports its total energy consumption and carbon emissions to the Office of Rail Regulation on an annual basis.

West Coast Railway Line: Speed Limits

Eric Martlew: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether there are plans for the improvement of the West Coast Main Line track north of Preston to increase running speeds.

Chris Mole: The recently completed modernisation of the West Coast Main Line maximised the opportunities for line speed improvements north of Preston. While the curvature of the line limits speeds in a number of places, significant sections of 125 miles per hour running have been delivered bringing greatly reduced journey times for passengers.

WALES

Digital Broadcasting

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with telecommunications providers on the loss of ITV channels as a result of digital switchover in Wales;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on the loss of ITV channels as a result of digital switchover in Wales.

Peter Hain: The "loss" of television channels to some viewers has occurred not because of the digital switchover, but because of a national re-tune. The Broadcasters decided to go ahead with the re-organisation of the Freeview platform in order to make space for the introduction of new technology to enable High Definition services on the digital terrestrial television (or Freeview) platform. It has also increased the availability of Channel Five to the point where it can now be received in almost all households across the UK-98.5 per cent. An estimated 500,000 Freeview homes will be able to see Channel Five for the first time after re-tuning.
	Around 78,000 viewers in Wales, who receive their transmissions via a relay station, may have lost access to ITV 3 or ITV 4 following the re-tune but many viewers will of course have gained Channel Five and HD capability. These channels are not necessarily permanently unavailable as there are alternative means of accessing both. Viewers can find out how to do so by contacting Digital UK via their website at:
	www.digitaluk.co.uk
	or the helpline on 08456 505050 or by investing in alternative platforms such as Freesat, cable or satellite-not all of which require a subscription.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the Territorial Army in each region who have served in Afghanistan have been awarded the Military Cross in each of the last seven years.

Bill Rammell: Three members of the Territorial Army who have served in Afghanistan have been awarded the Military Cross in the last seven years (2003-09), one in 2007 and two in 2009.

Armed Forces: Injuries

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many former service personnel who left the armed forces as a result of injury since 1997 were from  (a) England,  (b) Teesside and  (c) Middlesbrough, South and East Cleveland constituency.

Kevan Jones: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost as residential address information for former service personnel is not held with reference to country, county or parliamentary constituency. Further, there are significant questions over the accuracy and completeness of what is held; for example, some ex-service personnel do not provide a valid contact address on leaving the services or do not notify the MOD of a change of address if they move.

Armed Forces: Somalia

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed forces are assigned to operations  (a) in and  (b) related to Somalia; and whether any increase in such assignments is planned.

Bill Rammell: The UK armed forces have provided a colonel to the UN political office in Somalia. We have also provided staff officers on request for short periods of time to support the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), and we provide training assistance to AMISOM forces before deployment. The UK is also carrying out training and support activity with countries in the region in order to reduce the threat of terrorist activity.
	We are providing considerable support to counter-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia. The Royal Navy is contributing two frigates and a support tanker, as well as sizeable contributions to all of the operation headquarters. Some 320 members of the armed forces are specifically engaged in countering piracy as part of the EU operation ATALANTA and NATO Operation OCEAN SHIELD. A further 560 are contributing to maritime security in the region within NATO and the combined maritime forces, including countering smuggling and piracy.
	MOD is looking to enhance international operations underway in and around Somalia, and is working with our international colleagues on the best way in which we can support security sector development for the Somali Transitional Federal Government. These considerations include manpower enhancements in niche capacities where UK expertise can make a difference.

Ascension Island

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress he has made in his discussions with the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on future funding arrangements for Ascension Island.

Bill Rammell: The decision by the Ascension Island Government to remove a variation in the Ministry of Defence's annual property tax liability, which had the effect of almost doubling the amount, is currently being disputed. The MOD, therefore, has not paid this new tax liability in full.
	Discussions are ongoing in order to seek an agreement that is fair and equitable, and assurance that the services received from the Ascension Island Government represent best value for money. The Ascension Island Council has commissioned an HMRC-led study, supported by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, into tax arrangements on Ascension Island. The Ministry of Defence is being consulted as part of this study.

Departmental Postal Services

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which companies are under contract to his Department to provide mail services; and when each such contract expires.

Bill Rammell: The MOD contracts solely with Royal Mail Group for provision of mail services through the Forces Mail Settlement. The terms of the contract, which ran until 1 April 2009, continue to operate pending agreement and signature of a new contract.

Departmental Travel

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's policy is on  (a) members of his Department and  (b) uniformed members of the armed forces using first class travel on official business; and if he will make a statement.

Kevan Jones: holding answer 26 October 2009
	When movement is by commercial airline, as opposed to MOD charter or part-charter, class of travel is determined by the length of flight and the rank or civil service grade of the passenger. The majority of armed forces and civilian personnel will travel economy, tourist or budget class. Only when flights are longer than 2.5 hours will the passenger be entitled to travel club, executive, new economy, ambassador or premier economy. Two star officers and above and two star senior civil service and above, will mostly travel by club, executive, business, new economy, ambassador or premier. However, when this class of travel is not available, the flight is longer than 2.5 hours, and this is the only method of travel available to meet with designated service priorities, then the passenger is entitled to travel first class.
	For rail and sea travel, most will travel by standard class. However, officers and civil servants who are Lieutenant Commander, Major, Squadron Leader, pay band C2 and above, travelling on duty, are entitled to first class travel.
	Regardless of entitlement, though, all personnel are strongly encouraged to use the most economic means of travel at all times.

Gurkhas: Pensions

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether there have been any recent changes to the Gurkha pension plan; and whether any changes are expected to take effect in the next five months.

Kevan Jones: The last changes made to the pension arrangements affecting Gurkha personnel were in October 2007 when the MOD initiated the Gurkha offer to transfer for serving and recently retired Gurkhas to allow them to transfer their pension benefits to one of two armed forces pension schemes. This offer was limited solely to service after 1 July 1997. There are no plans to make changes to the current Gurkha pension arrangements.

Military Aircraft

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many aircraft of each type are assigned to the  (a) 12 Squadron,  (b) 14 Squadron,  (c) XV Squadron,  (d) 617 Squadron,  (e) 42 (R) Squadron,  (f) 120 Squadron,  (g) 201 Squadron,  (h) 43 Squadron,  (i) 111 Squadron and  (j) 202 Squadron D Flight.

Bill Rammell: The number of aircraft assigned to particular squadrons may vary on a daily basis. As at 23 October the information requested is provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Squadron  Aircraft type 
			 12 Squadron Nil Tornado GR4 (Squadron currently on post operational leave) 
			 14 Squadron 9 Tornado GR4 
			 XV Squadron 19 Tornado GR4 
			 617 Squadron 11 Tornado GR4 
			 42(R) Squadron All use Nimrod MR2 aircraft from a pool of 11 
			 120 Squadron As above 
			 201 Squadron As above 
			 43 Squadron Disbanded on 13 July 2009 
			 111 Squadron 13 Tornado F3 
			 D Flight, 202 Squadron 2 Sea King Mk3

Military Decorations

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of servicemen eligible for a medal to mark their service in the armed forces since 1945; and what estimate has been made of the cost of issuing such a medal.

Kevan Jones: There are no plans to institute a medal solely for being a member of the armed forces. Medals are primarily awarded for campaign service, for individual acts of gallantry and for long and meritorious service.

Nuclear Submarines

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 2 April 2009,  Official Report, column 1400W, on nuclear submarines, how many such incidents resulted in fatalities.

Bill Rammell: There were two fatalities as a result of an explosion onboard HMS Tireless in March 2007, the fire from which was categorised as Medium Scale in the earlier answer given on 2 April by the then Minister for the Armed Forces, my right hon. Friend the Member for Coventry, North-East (Mr. Ainsworth) There have been no other fatalities as a result of fires since 1987.

Territorial Army

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Territorial Army units the Armed Forces Minister has visited since his appointment.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 27 October 2009
	I visited 203 (Welsh) Field Hospital (Volunteers) in Cardiff in August 2009 and 4th Battalion the Mercian Regiment at Camp Bastion in July.

Trident

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to make the initial gate decision on the replacement of the Trident nuclear weapons system; and what immediate costs are associated with initiation of the project.

Bob Ainsworth: The Defence Board will consider the work required during the Concept Phase later this year.
	Work on replacing our deterrent submarines was initiated on April 2007 with the start of the project's Concept Phase. Since the beginning of April 2007 to the end of September 2009 some £320 million has been spent. The Initial Gate decision marks the end of the Concept Phase. The final spend on reaching Initial Gate cannot be calculated until after that point is reached.
	Until Initial Gate decisions are made it is too early to say what the likely expenditure will be for the period between that time and the Main Gate decision point, which is when the principal contracts with industry will be signed.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan: Elections

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of the  (a) number of those eligible to vote and  (b) level of turnout in each district of Helmand province in the recent Presidential elections in Afghanistan.

Ivan Lewis: 460,811 people registered to vote in Helmand in 2004 and 156,662 in 2008. Holders of voter registration cards from both 2004 and 2008 were eligible to vote in the 2009 elections.
	The final certified numbers of votes in the first round of the presidential elections, following the completion of the election audit process by the Independent Election Commission (IEC) and the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC), for each Helmand district are as follows:
	Lashkar Gah-28,992
	NahriSaraj-16,895
	Nad-e-Ali-3,374
	Sangin-399
	Kajaki-313
	Musa Qala-4,580
	Nowzad-0
	Nawa-2,612
	Garmsir-4,528
	Khaneshin-260
	Vashir-2,563
	The number of votes for each district was reduced after the IEC and ECC completed their process to exclude fraudulent votes (on 19 October 2009).

Afghanistan: Foreign Relations

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the implications of the report of the Afghanistan Electoral Complaints Commission for the Government's policy towards that country; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 26 October 2009
	We welcome the audit process, completed on 19 October, conducted by the Independent Election Commission (IEC) and Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC), which was robust and transparent and we are confident in their findings. On 20 October 2009, the IEC set a date for the second round of the presidential elections and President Karzai and Dr. Abdullah confirmed that they will both run in this.
	We are also confident that a second round, due to be held 7 November 2009, can be carried out. Planning for the eventuality that a second round would be required has been taking place for some time and we will continue to provide support for the ongoing preparations. The IEC and Afghan security forces, with UN and International Security Assistance Force support, are working to maximise the opportunities for people to vote.
	Afghanistan needs a credible second round and a credible conclusion to this process, resulting in a government that represents the legitimate will of the Afghan people. Our policy to support this process through to the end, and to encourage all parties to respect Afghanistan's Constitution and Electoral Law, remains consistent and firm.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the terms of reference for the latest review of the Helmand road map are; and in what way they differ from the terms of reference for previous reviews.

Ivan Lewis: We review the Helmand road map regularly, monitoring the delivery of stabilisation work in response to operational changes. The road map is designed as a living document, constantly reviewed and updated in light of lessons learned. Our stabilisation work in Helmand in support of the Afghan Government is a fundamental part of the campaign.

Aung San Suu Kyi

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received of the conditions under which Aung San Suu Kyi is being held; what recent discussions he has had with the government of Burma on the matter; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Aung San Suu Kyi's latest term of 18 months under house arrest began with the conclusion of her sham trial on 11 August 2009. The terms of her detention were stated by the court to be:
	she must remain on her compound;
	she would be permitted medical treatment from her own doctor when required;
	she could read state and private Burmese newspapers (subject to censorship) and watch the two state TV channels ;
	she could communicate with others in writing, with prior consent by the authorities;
	she would be permitted visitors, subject to approval by the authorities; and
	she could make requests to the authorities to meet any other needs she might identify.
	Aung San Suu Kyi has asked the regime for clarification on the terms of her detention and the processes that need to be observed but has not yet had a response. It is not yet clear whether these terms will be honoured in full by the Burmese authorities, but our ambassador to Burma, as local EU presidency, was allowed to meet Aung San Suu Kyi together with diplomats from the US and Australian embassies on 9 October 2009. This was a small, but welcome, development. We urge the authorities to allow her regular and unfettered access to her party and other democratic and ethnic leaders, and to embark on a genuine and inclusive process of dialogue and national reconciliation. We continue to call for Aung San Suu Kyi's immediate and unconditional release as well as the release of the more than 2,000 political prisoners detained alongside her.
	Our ambassador raised the conditions of Aung San Suu Kyi's house arrest with Burmese Ministers most recently on 16 October 2009, and will continue to do so at every opportunity.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to implement the efficiency recommendations of the Operational Efficiency Programme relating to his Department; and what training is available to  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in his Department in respect of the delivery of value for money savings.

Chris Bryant: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is committed to playing its part in the further efficiency savings targets announced in the 2009 budget as part of the wider Government drive to deliver an additional £5 billion in savings for the Operational Efficiency Programme in 2010-11.
	The FCO contribution to this target (including BBC World Service and British Council) is £20 million. The FCO will meet its part through further efficiencies in procurement, corporate services and FCO Services costs.
	There are no specific financial training courses for FCO Ministers. Financial training available for officials includes a number of different targeted courses which includes elements covering value for money savings.

Embassies: Civil Partnerships

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many civil partnerships have been celebrated in British consulates.

Chris Bryant: Since the introduction of the Civil Partnership Act on 18 November 2004, 487 civil partnerships have been registered at British consulates overseas. The following table provides information on the countries where British consulates can register civil partnerships and the number registered since the introduction of the Act.
	
		
			  Countries where civil partnerships can be registered  Registrations 
			 Argentina 7 
			 Australia (except Tasmania(1)) 308 
			 Austria 2 
			 Bulgaria 1 
			 Canada(1) 1 
			 Colombia 19 
			 Costa Rica 0 
			 Croatia 1 
			 Czech Republic(1) 3 
			 Guatemala 3 
			 Hungary(1) 4 
			 Ireland 17 
			 Israel 1 
			 Japan 22 
			 Latvia 0 
			 Malta 0 
			 Moldova 0 
			 Mongolia 0 
			 Panama 4 
			 Peru 7 
			 Philippines 0 
			 Portugal 7 
			 South Africa(1) 19 
			 Switzerland(1) 5 
			 Turkmenistan 0 
			 Uruguay 0 
			 Venezuela 7 
			 Vietnam 49 
			 Total 487 
			 (1) Have subsequently introduced their own civil partnership legislation.

Iran

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of the members of the United Nations General Assembly who  (a) applauded and  (b) protested against the speech of the President of Iran in (i) 2008 and (ii) 2009; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The Government have consistently condemned the Iranian President's inflammatory comments about the state of Israel and his repeated offensive statements about the holocaust. We cannot ignore what the leader of a significant country says during his speech at the UN General Assembly, and there was widespread international criticism of President Ahmadinejad's comments at the UN General Assembly in 2008.
	During his speech to the 2009 UN General Assembly, President Ahmadinejad again made anti-Semitic assertions. This immediately prompted UK officials to leave the room, alongside representatives from Australia; Argentina; Costa Rica; Denmark; France; Germany; Hungary; Italy; New Zealand; Palau; Poland; Slovenia; Uruguay; and the USA. The Canadian and Israeli delegations had left the room before the speech had started.
	British officials did not make a note at the time of the countries whose representatives applauded the speech.

Iran

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps at the United Nations he  (a) has taken and  (b) plans to take in respect of statements about Israel made by the President of Iran at the United Nations General Assembly; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We made clear our condemnation of the Iranian President's speech during the UN General Assembly by leaving the room. Prior to this speech at the UN, President Ahmadinejad had given a similarly outrageous speech at Friday Prayers at Tehran University, during which he again denied the Holocaust and warned that the Zionist regime was doomed to destruction.
	In response to this speech my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary issued a statement denouncing his claims as abhorrent as well as ignorant, and calling on the world community to stand up against this tide of abuse. It is totally unacceptable that one member of the UN should repeatedly threaten the existence of another.
	The Government have consistently condemned the Iranian President's inflammatory comments about the State of Israel and his offensive statements about the Holocaust. Such rhetoric is a recipe for instability and only serves to undermine international confidence in Iran's willingness to act as a respectable member of the international community. We will continue to speak out in response to such deplorable and ignorant comments.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he  (a) has taken in the last six months and  (b) plans to take in the next 12 months to assist the Egyptian Government to stop the smuggling of offensive weapons into Gaza; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Since the Gaza conflict, officials from nine countries (Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, the UK, and the US) have met several times to discuss how to support action against arms smuggling. Officials met most recently in Ottawa on 10-11 June 2009. However, the tools the international community has at its disposal are limited and the challenges of interdiction high.
	We continue to discuss all aspects of the situation in Gaza-including arms smuggling and action to combat it-with international partners.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the number of rocket attacks from Gaza aimed at southern Israel; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: According to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs there have been 122 rockets fired from Gaza since Operation Cast Lead. The UK condemns all such attacks and continues to call on those responsible to renounce violence.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the allegations of war crimes made in respect of each party to the recent conflict in Gaza; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: There are allegations of serious concern which cannot be ignored. Rocket attacks by Palestinian militants targeted at innocent civilians in southern Israel constitute a breach of international humanitarian law. There are also serious allegations about Israeli conduct and we urge the Israeli Government to carry out full, credible and impartial investigations.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the likelihood of military action against Iran by  (a) Israel and  (b) other states in the event of Iran making further progress towards the development of (i) long range missiles and (ii) nuclear weapons; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We regularly review and monitor a range of threats to security in the middle east. We are aware of speculation about military action against Iran. This underlines the urgency of finding a diplomatic solution to Iran's nuclear programme and we are working intensely with international partners to achieve this.

Middle East: Peace Negotiations

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which members of his Department attended the meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council to  (a) discuss and  (b) vote on the report of the UN Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The UK was represented by our Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Mr. Peter Gooderham.

Middle East: Peace Negotiations

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of progress in bringing Fatah and Hamas together to create a unified Palestinian negotiating position; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary spoke to the Egyptian Foreign Minister, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, on 16 October 2009. We understand, despite Fatah agreeing to Egypt's proposals, Hamas has not. The Foreign Minister stated that the original deadline and further repeated deadlines for reaching agreement among the Palestinian factions will not be met.
	The UK continues to favour any reconciliation which supports peace negotiations and enhances efforts to improve governance, security and the economy in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Middle East: Peace Negotiations

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reasons the UK did not vote in the UN Human Rights Council on the motion relating to the report of the UN Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We have made absolutely clear that the Goldstone report raised very serious issues that we wanted to see addressed. We also made clear that the resolution did not adequately address Hamas' actions and Israel's right to protect its citizens.
	We did not vote because we were in the middle of detailed discussions about three key issues: the establishment of an independent inquiry, access for humanitarian aid to Gaza and how to restart the peace process. We were pursuing these at the highest level, between my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, President Sarkozy of France and Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel. The vote was called in the middle of those discussions and we did not wish to compromise the detailed work on those fundamental issues.

Middle East: Peace Negotiations

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the government of  (a) Iran and  (b) Syria on their support for Hezbollah and Hamas; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We have made clear on a number of occasions to Iran, and will continue to do so, that we have serious concerns about their ongoing support for Hezbollah and Hamas. Such support is unacceptable and only serves to undermine regional security.
	With Syria, we raise regularly at ministerial and senior official meetings that support for Hezbollah and Hamas is inconsistent with regional stability and peace. I raised this during my visit in August 2009. The issue is also raised frequently by our British ambassador to Syria in the course of his meetings with Syrian Ministers and officials, most recently on 27 October 2009.

Middle East: Water

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on proposals to share water supplies from the River Jordan; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We have not received any recent reports on proposals to share water supplies in Jordan.

Monitor Group: Meetings

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Ministers or officials in his Department have had  (a) meetings,  (b) communications and  (c) other contacts with the Monitor Group in the last five years.

Chris Bryant: This information is not held centrally and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Occupied Territories: Housing

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the government of Israel on the building of settlements in the West Bank; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Settlements are illegal and an obstacle to peace. We raise the issue frequently with Israeli Ministers. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has pressed the Israeli Prime Minister on this several times, most recently in his joint letter of 16 October 2009 with French President Sarkozy. I also raised settlements with my counterpart on 27 October 2009.

Occupied Territories: Housing

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of progress in negotiations on the matter of Israeli settlement-building in the West Bank; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We are extremely concerned by ongoing settlement activity both in the west bank and east Jerusalem, including the Israeli Government's approval in September of new tenders for settlement projects.
	We wholeheartedly support the US effort to restart peace talks. Settlements are illegal and an obstacle to peace. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has pressed the Israeli Prime Minister on this several times, most recently in his joint letter of 16 October 2009 with French President Sarkozy. However, it will be for the US to announce what they have agreed with the parties.

Russia: Foreign Relations

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next expects to meet his Russian counterpart to discuss UK-Russian relations and global issues.

Chris Bryant: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary is travelling to Moscow on 1 November 2009. As part of his visit, he will meet Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov for talks on 2 November 2009.

Sri Lanka: Human Rights

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government plan to take in response to the EU report on Sri Lanka's human rights record.

Gareth Thomas: I have been asked to reply.
	As stated in the joint Foreign and Commonwealth Office/Department for International Development statement of 20 October, the European Commission's report on Sri Lanka's implementation of international human rights conventions raises serious concerns, which we share. We are continuing at every opportunity to strongly urge the Government of Sri Lanka to take immediate action to address the issues outlined in this report.
	The report is a precursor to the Commission's recommendation to EU member states on whether Sri Lanka should continue to benefit from the GSP+ trade preference scheme. We expect to receive this recommendation by the end of the year and, once such a recommendation is presented, we will assess it on its merits. We are clear that in order to retain its GSP+ preferences Sri Lanka must respect its international human rights obligations under GSP+.

Temple Mount

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on recent incidents of disorder on the Temple Mount, Jerusalem.

Ivan Lewis: We are extremely concerned by recent disturbances on the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif. Our Consulate General in Jerusalem is monitoring the situation on the ground extremely closely. We call on all parties to show restraint, and refrain from provocative actions in order to prevent the situation escalating. The EU presidency made this clear to both Israeli and Palestinian authorities on 26 October 2009.

Turkey: Israel

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the implications for UK policy of the state of relations between Turkey and Israel; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Relations between Israel and Turkey are primarily a matter for those two countries. We work closely with both on a wide range of issues and will continue to do so. In particular, achieving a comprehensive peace in the Middle East remains one of UK's top priorities and both Israel and Turkey have key roles to play in achieving this.

Yvonne Fletcher

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Metropolitan Police officers are working on the investigation into the murder of WPC Yvonne Fletcher.

David Hanson: I have been asked to reply.
	The investigation into the murder of WPC Yvonne Fletcher has always remained open and the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) remains committed to identifying those people responsible for murdering WPC Fletcher by deploying the resources necessary to pursue the investigation. Detectives from the MPS inquiry team have visited Libya several times and met officials from the Libyan investigation team. The MPS remains ready to deploy officers to return to Libya in the future so that they can progress the inquiry further.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Copyright

Jo Swinson: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission if the House of Commons Commission will  (a) place in the Library and  (b) publish on the parliamentary website a copy of the Review of the Management of Parliamentary Copyright dated July 2009.

Nick Harvey: This internal paper has been prepared for the Printing and Publishing Management Group of officials (PPMG) which advises on parliamentary copyright. It has not yet been considered by that group and so will not be published for the time being. However, I will ensure that the hon. Member is kept up to date with developments.

Lighting

John Hayes: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what estimate the Department of Facilities has made of the cost of compliance with legislation on incandescent light bulbs; and how many such light bulbs are installed in  (a) the Chamber,  (b) the Press Gallery,  (c) areas open to the public and  (d) elsewhere on the part of the Parliamentary Estate for which the House of Commons Commission has responsibility.

Nick Harvey: Incandescent lighting on the parliamentary estate has been gradually replaced with lower energy lighting over the last five years, mostly during routine lamp changes. Therefore, the only cost of compliance has been the cost of the bulbs themselves which is offset by their increased life and will begin to produce savings within 500 hours of use. Due to the size and complexity of the estate, detailed records of light bulbs are not kept, but virtually no incandescent lighting remains within areas  (a) the Chamber and  (b) the Press Gallery. In  (c), areas open to the public, the vast majority of incandescent light bulbs have been replaced over the last 12 months with halogen lamps which consume some 30 per cent. less power. On  (d), the remainder of the Commons part of the estate, the only incandescent light fittings that the House has been unable to replace are those using small bayonet caps as these are not currently available. LED lighting is also currently being evaluated in several locations and low energy induction lighting is used widely such as in the Chamber and courtyards.

Members' Staff

Michael Penning: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what the cost to the public purse was of the production of the House of Commons Commission's Report on Employment of Members' staff by the House, HC 1059 of session 2008-09.

Nick Harvey: The cost to the public purse was £1,615.10 excluding staff time.

Portcullis House: Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission when the energy performance certificate for Portcullis House was last updated; what the most recent measurement of the energy performance of Portcullis House was; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: The current display energy certificate for Portcullis House dates from October 2008. In line with the regulations, the energy rating of the building is currently undergoing annual reassessment and the replacement certificate is expected to be available for display in November 2009.
	Early indications show that the energy rating for Portcullis House has improved; from a rating of 203 in 2008 to 192 in 2009.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Northern Ireland Independent Monitoring Board

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the operational cost of the Independent Monitoring Board for Prisons in Northern Ireland has been in each year since its inception.

Paul Goggins: This information is not available prior to financial year 2009-10. The total cost from 1 April 2009 for the year to date is £87,551.45.

Prisons: Complaints

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many complaints the Independent Monitoring Board for Prisons in Northern Ireland has received in each year since its inception; how many such complaints were  (a) upheld and  (b) dismissed; and of those dismissed, for what reasons they were dismissed.

Paul Goggins: It is not possible to quantify the number of complaints in any one year as many complaints are raised and dealt with on the day of members' rota visits and not always recorded. Complaints and requests dealt with by IMB are not subject to a formal resolution process but rather are addressed through local discussion with the relevant governor and consequently not formally recorded as being upheld or dismissed.

Prisons: Complaints

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many prison officers have been given the right of reply by the Independent Monitoring Board for Prisons (IMB) in Northern Ireland to a complaint made about them in each year since the IMB's inception.

Paul Goggins: The IMB has no jurisdiction to investigate complaints about prison staff. Where such a complaint is raised with the IMB, it would be immediately forwarded to the Prison Service for investigation.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Departmental Postal Services

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which companies are under contract to his Department to provide mail services; and when each such contract expires.

Si�n Simon: Pitney Bowes Managed Services provide the mail room services for the Department. This contract is now due to expire in January 2010.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to implement the efficiency recommendations of the Operational Efficiency programme relating to his Department; and what training is available to  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in his Department in respect of the delivery of value for money savings.

Si�n Simon: In the light of the recommendations in the Operational Efficiency programme report, published on 21 April 2009, the Department is taking forward a number of strands of work to achieve greater efficiency across all its operations and arm's length bodies, including:
	1. My appointment as the VFM Minister;
	2. Benchmarking of back-office functions within sponsored bodies with over 250 staff;
	3. Mapping and reviewing the current IT provision;
	4. Securing collaborative procurement; and
	5. Developing an estates strategy.
	Formal training is available to both Ministers and Department officials should they identify a business need for it. Further to this, best practice is shared between officials, for example through networking events organised by HM Treasury and the National Audit Office.

Departmental Responsibilities

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what  (a) meetings he has had with representatives of (i) his Department's sponsored bodies and (ii) outside organisations or individuals and  (b) events he has attended in his capacity as Secretary of State since June 2009.

Ben Bradshaw: The meetings that I have had with representatives of (i) his Department's sponsored bodies and (ii) outside organisations or individuals are detailed on the DCMS website
	www.culture.gov.uk
	http://www.culture.gov.uk
	The events I have attended in my capacity as Secretary of State since June 2009 are as follows:
	Richard Long exhibition, Tate Britain
	AEGON Tennis Championships
	Art Prize Fund for Museums and Galleries
	UK Music reception
	Darwin Centre Launch
	Wimbledon Championships
	Launch of National School Sport week
	Tate Britain summer reception
	Visit to the Artist rooms and Oil Tank exhibition, Tate Modern
	Rock the Boat
	Serpentine Gallery Pavilion
	Barber of Seville - Royal Opera House
	Jerusalem - Royal Court
	England -v- Australia test match
	Latitude festival
	Special event to celebrate the first quarter of ANLO figures with ACE at Royal Court
	Visit to Celtic Manor resort in Newport
	Opening of Corby swimming pool
	Royal and Demgate Theatre in Northampton
	Hamlet - Wyndhams theatre
	Bayreuth festival in Germany
	British Council - UK Young Creative Entrepreneur awards
	Glyndebourne
	Tour of Torre Abbey and Anthony Gormley exhibition in Torquay
	Exeter -v- QPR
	Modern Pentathlon Championships
	Bigga Fish
	British Youth Opera performance
	Launch of Street Games
	Manchester Velodrome
	Contact Theatre - Manchester
	Visit to Moss Side Millennium Powerhouse Library
	Find Your Talent project in Liverpool
	PL4Sport project in Liverpool
	RTS convention in Cambridge
	National Football Museum - Hall of Fame Award Dinner
	London Fashion week - Carolyn Massey show
	Visit to the BRIT school
	Tristan und Isolde - Royal Opera House
	Man Booker Prize awards 2009-10-26
	2009 PM's Better Public Building Award and British Construction Industry awards
	Othello project in Birmingham
	School Sports Partnership conference
	Electric Proms
	The Turn of the Screw - ENO

Football Foundation: Finance

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress his Department has made in the forthcoming round of Football Foundation funding allocation; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Both the Government and Sport England remain completely committed to the ongoing work of the Football Foundation and continuing to invest £15 million a year.
	However, any funding decisions beyond 2011 will be subject to the next comprehensive spending review.
	The 2009-10 funding agreement between Sport England and the Football Foundation for this year's £15 million investment has been agreed.

Sport England

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport for which public bodies the sports division of his Department is responsible; which individuals his Department has appointed to each such body; and what the duration of appointment of each is.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Sport Team within the Department is responsible for the Football Licensing Authority, Sport England and UK Sport. The tables set out the individuals appointed to these bodies by Ministers, as regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. In addition, the Department is in the process of establishing UK Anti-Doping as the UK's independent national anti-doping organisation.
	
		
			  Football Licensing Authority 
			  Name  Role  Start date  End date  Terms 
			 Paul Darling Chair April 2009 September 2011 1 
			 Brendon Batson MBE Member January 2007 January 2010 1 
			 John Woodrow Member June 2004 May 2010 2 
			 Julie Summerell Member January 2007 January 2010 1 
			 James Dickie Member January 2007 January 2010 1 
			 Dr. Pauleen Lane CBE Member July 2009 July 2012 1 
			 Ronald Wilkie Member July 2009 July 2012 1 
			 Peter Rowley Member July 2009 July 2012 1 
			 Derek Wilson Member July 2009 July 2012 1 
		
	
	
		
			  Sport England 
			  Name  Role  Start date  End date  Terms 
			 Richard Lewis Chair April 2009 March 2013 1 
			 Dr. Jack Rowell OBE Member January 2006 December 2009 2 
			 Karren Brady Member March 2005 March 2010 2 
			 Jill Ainscough Member April 2007 April 2010 1 
			 Martin Thomas Member April 2007 April 2010 1 
			 Philip Lemanski Member April 2007 April 2010 1 
			 James Stewart Member April 2007 April 2010 1 
			 Mich Stevenson OBE Member April 2007 April 2010 1 
			 Michael Farrar CBE Member March 2005 March 2012 2 
		
	
	
		
			  UK Sport 
			  Name  Role  Start date  End date  Terms 
			 Baroness Campbell CBE Chair March 2005 March 2013 2 
			 Philip Carling Member Wales February 2004 January 2010 2 
			 Louise Martin CBE Member Scotland June 2008 June 2011 1 
			 Rodney Carr OBE Member September 2005 September 2011 2 
			 Christopher Holmes MBE Member September 2005 September 2011 2 
			 Jonathan Vickers Member October 2008 October 2011 1 
			 Dominic Walsh Member Northern Ireland March 2008 March 2012 2 
			 Nigel Walker MBA DL Member July 2006 July 2012 2 
			 Philip Kimberley Member March 2009 March 2012 1 
			 Richard Lewis Member May 2009 May 2012 1 
		
	
	
		
			  UK Anti-Doping 
			  Name  Role  Start date  End date  Terms 
			 David Kenworthy Chair July 2009 February 2013 1 
		
	
	The recruitment of UK Anti-Doping board members is currently ongoing.

Sports: Schools

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to encourage school students to participate in competitive sport.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Competition is an integral part of the PE and Sport Strategy for Young People and the Government's commitment to offer every child aged five to 16 the chance to do five hours of PE and sport per week, with three hours for 16 to 19-year-olds.
	Between 2008-11, Government are investing approximately £25.5 million into a new network of 225 Competition Managers (CMs), all of which have been recruited. The new network of CMs will provide better opportunities for young people to take part in competitive sport; and ensure that school-based opportunities are more integrated with national governing bodies' competition pathway priorities and club competitions. Their objective is to increase the number of young people engaged in regular high quality inter-school competitive events.
	Government are also investing approximately £3 million between 2008-11 into an intra-school competition programme called 'yoURsport'. This is being implemented by the 450 school sport partnerships and is targeted at less sporty pupils to encourage them to participate in competitive sporting activity. The programme's objectives are to increase participation in intra-school competition for all young people aged 11 to 16, by providing a competitive experience which is appealing and accessible. The programme also provides opportunities for young leaders to deploy their leadership skills in organising, staging and officiating in intra-school competition for their peers.

Young Offenders: Princes Trust

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will provide funding to the partnership of the Prince's Trust and the Football Association football initiative in helping young adults in young offender institutions.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Prince's Trust works with, and is funded by the Premier League, Professional Footballer's Association and the Football Foundation. The Football Association is currently not one of its partners.
	The Government invest £15 million each year in the Football Foundation, the UK's largest sports' charity. Funded by the Premier League, the Football Association and Government, the Foundation directs £40 million every year into improving grass roots sport facilities to help increase participation in football and other sports, a key departmental priority, and address some of society's key challenges, such as social inclusion, health, education and equalities.
	The Department has no current plans to provide direct funding to this initiative.

OLYMPICS

Domestic Christmas Trees

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how much has been allocated for spending on  (a) imported and  (b) domestic Christmas trees for the main Olympic site in 2009.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 16 October 2009
	None of the ODA's budget has been allocated to provide Christmas trees for the Olympic Park.

International Olympic Committee

Don Foster: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many officials from  (a) her Office and  (b) the Government Olympic Executive attended the International Olympic Committee conference in October 2009; and at what cost to the public purse.

Tessa Jowell: No officials from my office or the Government Olympic Executive attended the International Olympic Committee congress in Copenhagen in October.

Olympic Games 2012: Barking and Dagenham

Jon Cruddas: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on the legacy of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games for the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham.

Tessa Jowell: My officials consulted with CLG officials on the legacy proposals for the London borough of Barking and Dagenham in advance of the Olympic Board making final decisions in respect of the venues for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Olympic Games 2012: Construction

Pete Wishart: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many Olympic construction contracts have been awarded to firms based  (a) in Scotland,  (b) in Wales,  (c) in Northern Ireland,  (d) in England and  (e) elsewhere.

Tessa Jowell: The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) is responsible for developing and building the venues and infrastructure for the London 2012 Games. To date in total 1,063 businesses, including those involved in construction, have won £5 billion of work directly supplying the ODA and hundreds more have won work in the supply chains.
	The numbers of the ODA's direct suppliers by nation (according to their registered address) are as follows:
	 (a) Scotland: 17
	 (b) Wales: 4
	 (c) Northern Ireland: 3
	 (d) England: 1,022
	 (e) Outside UK: 17.
	The ODA estimates that there is over £1 billion worth of direct procurement to be completed. This may be in the form of new contracts or amendments to existing contracts. These direct procurements will generate thousands of business opportunities in the supply chains. The ODA is currently conducting research in its supply chains with initial results due later this autumn. This will show the names of companies across the UK that are already benefiting from 2012-related work.

Olympic Games 2012: Gun Sports

Jon Cruddas: To ask the Minister for the Olympics whether she has had discussions with the  (a) Olympic Delivery Authority and  (b) Secretary of State for Defence on safety arrangements for the Olympic and Paralympic shooting event due to be held at the Royal Artillery Barracks in relation to (i) military personnel, (ii) the families of military personnel and (iii) the general public; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) have agreed plans for hosting the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic shooting events at the Royal Artillery Barracks with the Ministry of Defence. These plans will be submitted as part of the planning application in the coming weeks. Safety is paramount and has been at the forefront of discussions about the design for the venue.

Olympic Games 2012: Transport

Jon Cruddas: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what assessment she has made of the implications of the closure of a lane of the Blackwall Tunnel for the purposes of Olympic Family transport services for the fulfilment of the Olympic commitment on transport during the London 2012 Olympics; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: The Olympic Delivery Authority and Transport for London are working on the detailed designs of the Olympic Route Network and will be consulting local residents and businesses over the coming months. As part of this work, all the implications of potential road or lane closures will be assessed in detail. This detailed design work will be completed next summer.

Olympic Games: China

Kate Hoey: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what expenditure the Olympic Delivery Authority incurred on  (a) hospitality,  (b) accommodation and  (c) other expenses in relation to attendance at the Beijing Olympics.

Tessa Jowell: The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) incurred the following costs in attending the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Observer Programme:
	
		
			  £ 
			  (a) Flights 57,350.40 
			  (b) Accommodation 24,358.44 
			  (c) Other expenses 8,865.72 
			 Total 90,574.56 
		
	
	This paid for 33 ODA staff to take up places on the accredited observer programme.
	Attendees obtained valuable information to inform, for example, the detailed design of the venues and the management of the transport operations for which the ODA is responsible.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Community Development: Voluntary Organisations

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many grants to voluntary groups Communitybuilders has made since January 2008.

Barbara Follett: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 14 October 2009,  Official Report, column 964W.

Council Housing: Finance

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the amount of housing debt in each local authority.

Ian Austin: The assumed Housing Debt, the Subsidy Capital Financing Requirement, for each authority is calculated annually by my Department using data supplied by the local authorities themselves on their HRA Subsidy base data forms. The information is published, after consultation, in annual HRA Subsidy Determinations. The 2009-10 Determination is available on the Communities and Local Government website at this address:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/hrasubsidydeterminations0910

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) special and  (b) policy advisers work for each Minister in his Department.

Barbara Follett: The Secretary of State is supported by two special advisers, and the Minister of Housing and Planning by one special adviser. All civil servants in the Department provide policy advice to Ministers as necessary.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 21 July 2009,  Official Report, column 1353W, on public expenditure, from which of his Department's capital programmes funds will be transferred as part of the £340 million anticipated capital underspends transfer.

Barbara Follett: The Department for Communities and Local Government continues to monitor its capital programmes to identify any potential underspends for transfer to the £1.5 billion housing pledge announced in Building Britain's Future.

Disabled Facilities Grants

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much Disabled Facilities Grant funding was  (a) applied for and  (b) received by each local authority in each year since 2001.

Ian Austin: Details of the level of funding for the Disabled Facilities Grant which the local authorities in England applied for since 2001 is available through the Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix and can be found on the Communities and Local Government website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/localauthorityhousing/dataforms
	Details of the level of Disabled Facilities Grant received by each local authority in 2001-02 have been placed in the library of the House. Details of the level of Disabled Facilities Grant received by each local authority in England since 2002-03 can also be found on the Communities and Local Government website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.Uk/housing/supportandadaptations/housingadaptations/localauthoritydfgallocations

Employment Agencies

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many agency staff were employed by  (a) the Homes and Communities Agency,  (b) the Tenant Services Authority,  (c) the National Housing and Planning Advice Unit,  (d) the Homes and Communities Agency Academy and  (e) his Department in each of the last 12 months.

John Healey: The tables show the number of agency staff employed by  (b) the Tenants Services Authority,  (c) the National Housing and Planning Unit,  (d) the Homes and Communities Agency Academy and  (e) Communities and Local Government in each of the last 12 months.
	Figures for agency staff employed in each of the last 12 months by  (a) the Homes and Community Agency are not available other than at disproportionate cost. Details of the average number of temporary staff they have employed will be published shortly in their annual report and accounts.
	 Tables showing agency staff employed in the last 12 months from October 2008 to September 2009
	 (a) Homes and Communities Agency
	Figures for agency staff employed in each of the last 12 months by the Homes and Community Agency are not available other than at disproportionate cost. Details of the average number of temporary staff they have employed will be published shortly in their annual report and accounts.
	 (b) Tenants Services Authority
	The TSA has provided figures for staff employed via a third party e.g. recruitment agency from 1 December to week ending 23 October.
	
		
			   Number of agency staff 
			 December 2008 19 
			 January 2009 19 
			 February 2009 25 
			 March 2009 23 
			 April 2009 19 
			 May 2009 19 
			 June 2009 18 
			 July 2009 19 
			 August 2009 18 
			 September 2009 16 
			 October 2009 15 
		
	
	
		
			  (c) National Housing and Planning Unit 
			   Number of agency staff 
			 October 2008 2 
			 November 2008 2 
			 December 2008 2 
			 January 2009 0 
			 February 2009 0 
			 March 2009 0 
			 April 2009 0 
			 May 2009 0 
			 June 2009 0 
			 July 2009 0 
			 August 2009 0 
			 September 2009 0 
		
	
	
		
			  (d) Homes and Communities Agency Academy 
			   Number of agency staff 
			 October 2008 n/a 
			 November 2008 n/a 
			 December 2008 1 
			 January 2009 1 
			 February 2009 1.8 
			 March 2009 1.8 
			 April 2009 1.8 
			 May 2009 1.8 
			 June 2009 1.8 
			 July 2009 2 
			 August 2009 2 
			 September 2009 2 
		
	
	
		
			  (e) Communities and Local Government 
			   Number of agency staff 
			 October 2008 155 
			 November 2008 155 
			 December 2008 178 
			 January 2009 163 
			 February 2009 161 
			 March 2009 161 
			 April 2009 162 
			 May 2009 160 
			 June 2009 156 
			 July 2009 153 
			 August 2009 138 
			 September 2009 116

Fire Services: Pensions

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he plans to amend the Firefighters Pension Scheme entitlements in respect of high earners who are members of the scheme.

Barbara Follett: There are no current plans to introduce tiered contribution rates in the firefighters' pension schemes.

Government Office for the North West

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many times the Regional Director for the Government office for the north-west has visited Chorley since her appointment.

Rosie Winterton: The Regional Director has visited Chorley once since her appointment in February 2008. This was on 4 September 2009 to meet with Lancashire chief executives or their representatives.

Government Office for the North West

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many overseas visits the Regional Director for the Government office for the north-west has made since her appointment; and what the purpose was of each of the visits.

Rosie Winterton: The Regional Director for GONW has not made any overseas trips since her appointment in February 2008.

Government Office for the North West: Allowances

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much the Regional Director of the Government office for the north-west has claimed in travel and accommodation expenses in each year since her appointment.

Rosie Winterton: The Regional Director of the Government office for the north-west (GONW) is on detached duty from the Department for Communities and Local Government to GONW. In addition to travel expenses in the region, she therefore claims for rental of a one bedroom flat in central Manchester and return train tickets (standard class) for trips between Manchester and London most weekends. Details are in the following table:
	
		
			  £ 
			   Financial year 2007-08  Financial year 2008-09  2009-10( 1) 
			  Business expenses( 2)
			 Accommodation - 207.02 555.41 
			 Travel 118.50 15,533.40 4,517.08 
			 Total 118.50 15,740.42 5,072.49 
			 
			  Detached duty( 3)
			 Accommodation-Rent - 10,760.00 5,950.00 
			 Accommodation-Other - 3,045.94 1,333.28 
			 Travel - 4,811.69 1,950.62 
			 Total 0 18,617.63 9,233.90 
			 (1)Year to date: April to September.  (2) Mainly in the north west region. This also includes frequent meetings in London, for example in connection with national roles on social exclusion and cohesion or Government Office Network business.  (3) Detached duty is a period of service at a new, temporary work place other than on permanent transfer.

Local Government: Chorley

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what average time was taken by Chorley borough council to pay invoices to their private business suppliers in each of the last 12 months.

Rosie Winterton: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 7 July 2009,  Official Report, column 710W.

Local Government: Chorley

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many meetings the Regional Director of the Government office for the north-west has had with the  (a) Chief Executive and  (b) other officers of Chorley Borough Council in the last 12 months.

Rosie Winterton: The information is as follows:
	 (a) None
	 (b) None-however Chorley officials have been in larger regional or sub-regional meetings with the Regional Director.

Local Government: Pensions

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has to limit the pensions of members of the Local Government Pension Scheme who earn high salaries; what limits he intends to put in place; what estimate he has made of the effect on the Exchequer of introducing such limits in each of the next 10 years; and what estimate he has made of the  (a) costs to and  (b) savings for local government pension scheme funds in each of the next 10 years.

Barbara Follett: The benefit provisions of the Local Government Pension Scheme are kept under regular review to ensure their affordability and fairness. Changes to the pension entitlements of any members, as set out in the scheme's regulatory framework, will be subject to statutory consultation in the usual way. The next actuarial valuation exercise takes place as at 31 March 2010. It will set future employer contribution rates with effect from 1 April 2011.

Non-Domestic Rates: Greater London

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate his Department has made of the average liability of businesses in London for business rates before the application of transitional relief in  (a) 2009-10 and  (b) 2010-11.

Barbara Follett: Estimates of the average liability of properties in London in 2009-10 and 2010-11 are respectively £20,600 and £22,600 (values rounded to the nearest hundred pounds). For 2010-11, the estimate is before transitional arrangements, inflation and other reliefs. For 2009-10, the estimate is before transitional arrangements and other reliefs but after inflation.
	Estimates of the total number of properties and their total liability for business rates broken down by region, for financial years 2009-10 and 2010-11, i.e. before and after revaluation, have been published in table 1 of the transitional arrangements for the non-domestic rating revaluation consultation paper published on 8 July 2009 at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/nndrrevaluation2010

Planning Obligations: Chorley

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will publish all correspondence between the Government office for the north-west and Chorley Borough Council on section 106 monies for Chorley in the last 12 months.

Ian Austin: At the request of my hon. Friend, Government office for the north-west sought information from Chorley borough council on Section 106 agreements and arranged a meeting on 30 July 2009 with him to discuss these. Details of all Section 106 monies were provided to my hon. Friend at this meeting. Subsequently Government office for the north-west sent a follow up e-mail to my hon. Friend and Chorley borough council clearing the matters arising from the meeting. The correspondence relating to Section 106 issues will be placed in the Library of the House.

Regional Planning and Development

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will place in the Library a copy of the current Regional Business Plan agreed between his Department and each regional assembly or successor body.

Ian Austin: Current Regional Business Plans are already publicly available on the website of the relevant Regional Assembly or successor body.

Regional Planning and Development

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when the mini-review of each regional spatial strategy was completed; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of each such review.

Ian Austin: To date six regions have finalised RSS revisions which were published on the following dates:
	
		
			   Region 
			 12 May 2008 East of England 
			 21 May 2008 Yorkshire and Humber 
			 15 July 2008 North East 
			 30 September2008 North West 
			 12 March 2009 East Midlands 
			 6 April 2009 South East 
		
	
	The West Midlands is taking a phased approach to the revision of its RSS:
	Phase 1 covering the Black Country was finalised on 15 January 2008.
	Phase 2 which covers wider housing issues among other things has been through an Examination in Public and the Secretary of State is currently considering the panel's report published in September. We expect to consult on any proposed changes in the new year and publish the final plan later in 2010.
	The South West RSS was due to be finalised last summer. However in the light of a legal judgment on sustainability appraisal we have agreed to do some further work and consultation and aim to publish it in 2010.

Retail Trade: Planning Permission

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will take steps to promote retail diversity through the planning system.

Ian Austin: Our draft Planning Policy Statement 4: Planning for Prosperous Communities (PPS4) requires local planning authorities to take steps to protect and where appropriate enhance consumer choice and diversity in their town centres.
	We will be publishing the final PPS4 by the end of the year. Local authorities must take the PPS into account when preparing their local development frameworks and it may be material to decision on individual applications and appeals.

Shared Ownership Schemes

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the outcomes of each of the projects undertaken on the basis of a successful bid in the shared equity competition his Department announced in Budget 2007.

John Healey: MyChoice HomeBuy and Ownhome were the shared equity loan providers appointed by the Homes and Communities Agency following the Budget 2007 announcement. Both have contributed successfully to the National Affordable Housing Programme, helping 3,926 and 799 households respectively into home ownership in 2008-09. Information on households assisted into low cost home ownership in 2009-10 will be released by the Homes and Communities Agency in due course.

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Equality and Human Rights Commission: Manpower

John McDonnell: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality pursuant to the answer of 19 October 2009,  Official Report, column 1289W, on the Equality and Human Rights Commission: manpower, how much of the interim staff costs are attributable to consultancy fees in  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2008-09 and  (c) 2009-10.

Maria Eagle: None. The costs only relate to interim and agency staff who were employed by the Commission to support the delivery of its strategic priorities. Consultancy expenditure is recorded separately.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Carbon Emissions: Government Assistance

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what applications have been received from  (a) Wales,  (b) England and  (c) Scotland for support from the Low Carbon Communities Challenge Fund; when he expects decisions to be taken on the distribution of resources from the fund; and what evaluation mechanisms are in place to ensure optimisation of sustainability in successful bids.

Joan Ruddock: The Low Carbon Communities Challenge is a two-year programme to provide financial and advisory support to 20 'test-bed' communities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland that are seeking to cut carbon emissions. It does not cover communities in Scotland.
	Applications for the Challenge will be received by 27 November for phase 1 applicants (applying for funding in 2009-10), and 30 December for phase 2 applicants (applying for funding in 2010-11). The final decision on the selection of communities will be made in January 2010. Phase 1 applicants will be notified at this point on the allocation of funding. Phase 2 applicants will be allocated funding during the financial year as they work up their spending plans.
	We anticipate that Government will put in place a number of evaluation mechanisms. In doing so, we will engage closely with the selected communities so that the data are openly shared and so that the communities have the tools and opportunities to be active participants in the learning. The programme is likely to include:
	Gathering hard data on energy use
	Real time monitoring of energy use in selected households in the communities
	Household surveys for gathering data on broader socio-economic and environmental behaviours
	Facilitated events in each of the 20 communities.

Climate Change

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many scientists and academics who disagree with the theory of man-made climate change he has met in a ministerial capacity in the last 12 months.

Joan Ruddock: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not met climate sceptic scientists and academics in the last 12 months. However, the overwhelming consensus among climate scientists is that the case for human caused climate change that we are experiencing is unequivocal. This is the clear conclusion of the International Panel for Climate Change Fourth Assessment Report published in 2007.

Climate Change: Conferences

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking regarding sustainable alternatives for energy production in preparation for the forthcoming Copenhagen climate change conference.

Joan Ruddock: Energy production contributes the largest proportion of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. Working with EU partners, the Government are pushing for an ambitious, effective and fair agreement in Copenhagen that will drive the development and diffusion of sustainable forms of energy production. In this context, the UK's low carbon transition plan represents a clear demonstration to other countries that we are serious about reducing emissions from our own energy production.

Consolidated Contractors Corporation

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what  (a) meetings,  (b) communications and  (c) other contacts Ministers and officials in his Department have had with the Consolidated Contractors Corporation (CCC Group) and its international offshoots in the last five years.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 20 October 2009
	The Department for Energy and Climate Change has of course only been in existence for just over a year. We have no records within DECC of any contact with this group.

Wind Power: Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty

David Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change in how many Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty there are planning applications for  (a) wind farms and  (b) related electricity cables.

David Kidney: There are currently seven planning applications for  (a) wind farms in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in England and Northern Ireland. There are no current planning applications relating to AONBs in Wales. There are no Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Scotland.
	I can confirm that the Department has received no applications for  (b) overhead line works associated with wind farm developments of 50 megawatts (MW) and above in AONBs in England and Wales. There are also no applications affecting AONBs in Northern Ireland.
	Applications for electricity cables related to wind farms of less than 50 megawatts (MW) in England and Wales would be considered by the relevant local planning authority and DECC does not maintain information on such applications.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Alcoholic Drinks: Crime

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) 10 to 12,  (b) 13 to 15 and  (c) 16 to 17 year olds were (i) cautioned and (ii) prosecuted for alcohol-related offences in each police force area in each of the last five years.

Alan Johnson: Information showing the number of offenders cautioned and defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for alcohol-related offences in England and Wales from 2003 to 2007 (latest available) broken down by age and police force area, can be viewed in Tables 1,2 and 3 placed in the House Library. Data for 2008 are planned for publication at the end of January 2010.
	A penalty notice for disorder (PND) may also be issued for certain alcohol-related offences. The number of PNDs issued for alcohol-related offences from 2004 to 2007 were introduced to all police force areas in 2004.

Alcoholic Drinks: Public Places

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) anti-social behaviour orders,  (b) penalty notices for disorder and  (c) police cautions have been issued for on-street drinking in (i) North Yorkshire, (ii) Yorkshire and the Humber and (iii) England in each year since 1997.

Alan Campbell: Information showing the number of offenders cautioned for on-street drinking offences in the North Yorkshire Police Force area, the Yorkshire and Humberside region and England from 1997 to 2007 (latest available) can be viewed in Table 1.
	Information showing the number of Penalty Notices for Disorder (PNDs) issued in the North Yorkshire Police Force area, the Yorkshire and Humberside region and England from 2004 to 2007 (latest available) can be viewed in Table 2. The PND scheme was rolled out to all Police Forces during 2004.
	Data on the number of ASBOs issued held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform does not include information detailing the specific nature of the antisocial behaviour which resulted in the court issuing the ASBO. This could be determined only by examining individual court files which could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Number of offenders cautioned( 1)  for on-street drinking( 2)  in North Yorkshire Police Force Area, Yorkshire and Humberside region( 3)  and England, 1997 to 2007( 4, 5) 
			1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 140/01 North Yorkshire Police Force Area 26 25 51 99 191 204 268 111 87 119 70 
			 141/01 Yorkshire and Humberside Region(3) 1,592 1,866 1,990 1,992 1,890 1,854 2,220 1,314 642 991 982 
			 140/11 England 23,253 20,882 18,489 16,599 15,351 15,014 16,977 12,358 7,497 4,916 5,095 
			 (1) From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and warnings. These figures have been included in the totals. (2) Includes the following offences and statutes: Being found drunk in a highway or other public place, whether a building or not, or on licensed premises-Licensing Act 1872, section 12. Being guilty while drunk of disorderly behaviour-Criminal Justice Act 1967, section 91. Offences relating to the Police Reform Act 2002 Sch.4 Para.5 (Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 S.12). Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 S12. (3) Covers the following Police Force Areas: North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and Humberside. (4) The cautions statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been cautioned for two or more offences at the same time the principal offence is the more serious offence. (5) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source:  Evidence and Analysis Unit-Office for Criminal Justice Reform. 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of Penalty Notices for Disorder issued to persons aged 16 and over for on-street drinking( 1)  in North Yorkshire Police Force Area, Yorkshire and Humberside region( 2)  and England, 2004 to 2007( 3, 4) 
			   2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 North Yorkshire Police Force Area 480 810 1,024 1,113 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside Region(1) 3,722 5,835 8,392 7,578 
			 England(5) 28,455 38,499 43,842 47,591 
			 (1) Includes the following offences and statutes: Being found drunk in a highway or other public place, whether a building or not, or on licensed premises-Licensing Act 1872, section 12. Being guilty while drunk of disorderly behaviour-Criminal Justice Act 1967, section 91. Offences relating to the Police Reform Act 2002 Sch.4 Para.5 (Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 S.12). Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 S12, (2) Covers the following Police Force Areas: North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and Humberside. (3) The Penalty Notice for Disorder (PND) Scheme was implemented in all 43 police forces in England and Wales in 2004. (4) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (5) Excludes British Transport Police.  Source:  Evidence and Analysis Unit-Office for Criminal Justice Reform.

Antisocial Behaviour

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of anti-social behaviour there have been in  (a) North Yorkshire,  (b) Yorkshire and the Humber and  (c) England in each year since 2003; and how many of those reported cases have led to (i) the issuing of an anti-social behaviour order, (ii) a community sentence, (iii) a custodial sentence, (iv) a police caution and (v) any other form of judicial sentencing.

Alan Campbell: The information requested is not held centrally. Reports of antisocial behaviour are usually reported to the police, local authority, landlord or other frontline agency whose task it is to deal directly with that problem. Information on the use of all the antisocial behaviour tools and powers nationally is available on the antisocial behaviour website:
	http://www.asb.homeoffice.gov.uk/uploadedFiles/Members_site/Documents_and_images/Resources/CDRP.pdf

Antisocial Behaviour Orders: Staffordshire

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many acceptable behaviour contracts have been made in  (a) Staffordshire and  (b) Tamworth constituency in each of the last five years.

Alan Campbell: The number of acceptable behaviour contracts (ABCs) is collected by the Home Office through a voluntary survey of Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs) use of antisocial behaviour tools and powers. The latest published data indicate that at least 450 ABCs were made in Staffordshire between October 2003 and September 2008, of which 75 were issued in Tamworth during the same period.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders: Wales

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many anti-social behaviour orders have been issued in  (a) Wales and  (b) Newport East constituency since 1998.

Alan Campbell: Antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) became available from 1 April 1999. The latest available data on the number of ASBOs issued cover the period 1 April 1999 to 31 December 2007. These data are not available below Criminal Justice System (CJS) area level.
	Between 1 April 1999 and 31 December 2007, a total of 783 ASBOs were issued at all courts in Wales.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders: Young People

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many anti-social behaviour orders have been issued to young people aged between 13 and 19 years old in  (a) England,  (b) the North East and  (c) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each of the last five years.

Alan Campbell: The number of antisocial behaviour orders issued to young people (defined as being 10-17 years old at the date of appearance in court) at all courts in England, the North East region and Cleveland, in each of the years during the period 2003-07 (latest available) is shown in the following table.
	ASBO data are not available centrally below Criminal Justice System (CJS) area level.
	
		
			  Number of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) issued to juveniles( 1)  at all courts in the Cleveland Criminal Justice System (CJS) area, the North East region and England, as reported to the Home Office by the Court Service, 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2007 
			  Geographical area  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Cleveland 9 15 28 32 27 
			 North East(2) 26 64 102 76 49 
			 England 598 1,291 1,493 971 869 
			 (1) Juveniles are defined as being 10-17 years old at the date of appearance in court. (2) The north-east Government office region comprises the Cleveland, Durham and Northumbria Criminal Justice System areas.  Notes: 1. Previously issued data have been revised. 2. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Antisocial Behaviour: Norwich

Chloe Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of anti-social behaviour there were in  (a) 2007,  (b) 2008 and  (c) 2009 in Norwich, North constituency.

Alan Campbell: The information requested is not held centrally.
	Incidents of antisocial behaviour are usually reported to the police, local authority, landlord or other frontline agency whose task it is to deal directly with that problem.

Crime: Business

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what eligibility criteria are used to assess applications for grants from the Small Retailers Grant Fund; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: The eligibility criteria for the Small Retailers Capital Grants Fund are detailed in the Guidance Notes available on the grant administrator's website at:
	http://grantsadmin.co.uk/smallretailerscapitalfund/

Crime: Young People

Chloe Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes were committed by under 25 year olds in  (a) 1997,  (b) 2007 and  (c) 2008 in Norwich, North constituency.

Alan Campbell: The information requested is not collected centrally. From the recorded crime statistics collected by the Home Office it is not possible to identify the age of the alleged offender.

Departmental Vetting

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many employees in his Department and its agencies in England and Wales were subject to basic disclosure checks undertaken by Disclosure Scotland in each year since 2002.

Alan Johnson: The 'Disclosure Scotland' checks were introduced in the Home Office in November 2008; therefore, no checks were undertaken before then. In 2008, a total of 83 permanent members of staff and 180 contractors were checked through 'Disclosure Scotland'. In 2009 (up to 16 October 2009), 1,001 permanent staff and 2,060 contractors were checked. This information will probably include employees and contractors based in Scotland and Northern Ireland as our records are unable to differentiate between areas of the country for these particular data.
	Additionally, this information relates to the core Home Office, UK Border Agency, Criminal Records Bureau and the Identity and Passport Service. It does not include non-departmental government bodies which the Home Office may 'sponsor'.

Detection Rates

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the detection rate was for  (a) all offences,  (b) violence against the person,  (c) sexual offences,  (d) robbery,  (e) burglary,  (f) drug offences and  (g) criminal damage in each of the last 10 years; and what proportion of detections in each such case was recorded on the issuing of a (i) charge or summons, (ii) caution, (iii) offence taken into consideration and (iv) penalty notice for disorder.

Alan Johnson: The information requested is given in the table.
	It should be noted that non-sanction detections that contribute to the percentage change in detection rates have fallen in recent years reflecting a significant shift by many police forces away from recording detections of crime where no further action is taken. For this reason overall detection rates over time are not fully comparable.
	From 1 April 2007 the rules governing recording of non-sanction detections were revised to reduce the scope within which they can be claimed to a very limited set of circumstance. In terms of offences detected by the police, the preferred measure is now to use sanction detections.
	Detection rates are a ratio of crime detected in a period to crimes recorded in a period. They are not based on tracking whether individual crimes recorded in period have eventually been detected.
	
		
			  Detection rates for selected offence groups in England and Wales 
			Percentage of detections detected by:  
			  Financial year and offence group  Detection rate (percentage)( 1)  Charge/summons  Caution  Offences taken into consideration  Penalty notice for disorder  Cannabis warnings  Non-sanction detections (percentage) 
			  Total crime
			 2000-01 23 58 17 8 n/a n/a 18 
			 2001-02 22 59 16 8 n/a n/a 17 
			 2002-03(2,3) 23 57 15 8 n/a n/a 20 
			 2003-04 23 56 16 8 0 n/a 21 
			 2004-05 26 50 18 7 1 2 22 
			 2005-06 27 48 21 8 7 4 13 
			 2006-07 27 47 24 8 9 6 6 
			 2007-08 28 49 26 8 9 8 0 
			 2008-09 28 52 24 8 8 8 0 
			 
			  Violence against the person
			 2000-01 57 55 14 0 n/a n/a 30 
			 2001-02 56 58 14 0 n/a n/a 28 
			 2002-03(2,3) 54 53 13 0 n/a n/a 33 
			 2003-04 50 51 14 0 1 n/a 34 
			 2004-05 53 47 16 0 5 n/a 32 
			 2005-06 54 46 22 0 11 n/a 21 
			 2006-07 51 48 29 0 14 n/a 9 
			 2007-08 49 53 33 0 14 n/a 0 
			 2008-09 47 58 31 0 11 n/a 0 
			 
			  Sexual offences
			 2000-01 43 68 8 1 n/a n/a 23 
			 2001-02 43 71 8 1 n/a n/a 20 
			 2002-03(2,3) 39 71 9 1 n/a n/a 19 
			 2003-04 36 71 10 1 0 n/a 18 
			 2004-05 34 71 11 1 0 n/a 17 
			 2005-06 35 72 13 3 0 n/a 11 
			 2006-07 32 75 16 1 0 n/a 7 
			 2007-08 31 80 18 1 0 n/a 1 
			 2008-09 32 82 17 1 0 n/a 1 
			 
			  Robbery
			 2000-01 17 80 4 5 n/a n/a 11 
			 2001-02 16 82 3 6 n/a n/a 10 
			 2002-03(2,3) 19 83 2 5 n/a n/a 9 
			 2003-04 19 84 3 5 0 n/a 8 
			 2004-05 20 78 3 5 0 n/a 13 
			 2005-06 18 86 4 5 0 n/a 5 
			 2006-07 19 89 4 5 0 n/a 2 
			 2007-08 20 91 4 5 0 n/a 0 
			 2008-09 21 92 3 5 0 n/a 0 
			 
			  Burglary
			 2000-01 11 55 5 30 n/a n/a 10 
			 2001-02 12 56 4 32 n/a n/a 9 
			 2002-03(2,3) 12 54 4 34 n/a n/a 8 
			 2003-04 13 54 4 34 0 n/a 8 
			 2004-05 13 51 6 35 0 n/a 9 
			 2005-06 14 49 7 40 0 n/a 5 
			 2006-07 14 47 8 43 0 n/a 3 
			 2007-08 13 50 7 42 0 n/a 0 
			 2008-09 13 50 6 44 0 n/a 0 
			 
			  Drug offences
			 2000-01 89 57 38 0 n/a n/a 6 
			 2001-02 92 56 37 0 n/a n/a 7 
			 2002-03(2,3) 93 55 37 0 n/a n/a 8 
			 2003-04 93 53 35 0 0 n/a 12 
			 2004-05 95 41 36 0 0 20 3 
			 2005-06 95 35 24 0 0 37 3 
			 2006-07 95 32 22 0 0 44 2 
			 2007-08 95 30 22 0 0 48 0 
			 2008-09(4) 95 32 21 0 0 46 0 
			 
			  Criminal damage
			 2000-01 13 51 20 3 n/a n/a 25 
			 2001-02 12 52 21 3 n/a n/a 24 
			 2002-03(2,3) 13 51 19 2 n/a n/a 28 
			 2003-04 13 49 21 3 0 n/a 28 
			 2004-05 14 46 24 3 2 n/a 25 
			 2005-06 15 44 28 4 8 n/a 17 
			 2006-07 15 42 32 5 13 n/a 8 
			 2007-08 14 45 37 5 13 n/a 0 
			 2008-09 14 50 35 5 10 n/a 0 
			 n/a = Not applicable. (1) In 2008-09 this includes a small number of Youth Restorative Disposals submitted to the Home Office as part of a pilot scheme and which are included in with non-sanction detections. (2) The National Crime Recording Standard was introduced on 1 April 2002. (3) Includes British Transport Police from 2002-03. (4) Since January 2009, PNDs can be given for cannabis possession. Up until the end of March 2009, PNDs were counted together with cannabis warnings.

Domestic Violence: Arrests

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what targets for arrest rates for incidents of domestic violence have been set for police forces.

Alan Campbell: No targets are set for police forces on arrest rates for incidents of domestic violence.

Driving Offences: Mobile Phones

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many deaths have been caused by dangerous driving due to the use of a mobile telephone in  (a) England,  (b) Teesside and  (c) Middlesbrough, South and East Cleveland constituency since 1997.

Alan Campbell: The information requested is not available centrally. While the Home Office collects statistics on the number of recorded offences of causing death by dangerous driving, no details are held on the individual circumstances surrounding each offence.

Immobilisation of Vehicles

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions officials of his Department have had with the British Parking Association on wheel clamping on private land.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 28 October 2009
	Officials of the Home Office and the Security Industry Authority (SIA) met with representatives of the British Parking Association (BPA) in April of this year. In addition, the SIA has met or been in contact with the BPA on a number of occasions about the emerging plans for regulation of the vehicle immobilisation industry.

Independent Safeguarding Authority: Finance

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department has spent to date in  (a) the establishment and  (b) the operation of the Independent Safeguarding Authority in (i) total and (ii) by (A) staff, (B) information technology, (C) legal, (D) administrative and (E) other costs; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Hillier: The Home Office is responsible for the implementation of the Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS), which includes the establishment and operation of the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA). However, the Department of Health and Department for Children, Schools and Families are the policy leads and provide the funding for the scheme.
	The ISA was formally vested in January 2008 and began operational work in March 2008. The costs of establishing the ISA prior to vesting are £9.87 million.
	ISA expenditure for 2007-08 and for 2008-09 is set out in the following table.
	Establishment cost includes the development of interim IT, a proportionate cost of the full solution at March 2009, and the cost of fitting out Stephenson House, the ISA head office. IT running cost represents the cost of supporting the interim solution. The expenditure figures do not include the costs of other bodies whose functions include, but are not exclusively, support for the establishment, operation and monitoring of the ISA. They do not include estimates of expenditure in the current year which are yet to be audited.
	
		
			  ISA costs 
			  £000 
			   2007-08  2008-09 
			  (a) Establishment cost 9,870 3,926 
			
			  (b) Running costs:   
			 A) Staff 83 5,721 
			 B) IT 0 284 
			 C) Legal 0 142 
			 D) Administrative 12 1,493 
			 E) Other costs 63 845 
			  158 8,485

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to reply to the letter dated 7 September 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton concerning Ms Martina Palfrey.

Alan Johnson: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 15 October 2009.

Passports: Fraud

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions for offences of fraud in relation to passports there were in  (a) the UK,  (b) the East of England region,  (c) Essex and  (d) Castle Point constituency in each of the last 10 years.

Meg Hillier: holding answer 27 October 2009
	The Identity and Passport Service did not separately record details on convictions for offences of fraud prior to the introduction of its Fraud Casework and Management Information system in April 2005. The number of convictions recorded by IPS from then onwards are as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  Convictions 
			 2005-06 12 
			 2006-07 55 
			 2007-08 9 
			 2008-09 6 
		
	
	It is not possible to obtain any further breakdown by region or specific location. In those cases when IPS receives notification of a conviction from a court, or the police, the information provided states the name of the court only.

Proceeds of Crime: East of England

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the value was of assets  (a) seized and  (b) frozen under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 in each police force area in the East of England in each year since 2002.

Alan Campbell: Information is not available in the form requested. The value of cash forfeiture orders and confiscation orders obtained by each police force in the eastern region from 2003-04 is set out in the table. The police can obtain forfeiture orders in the magistrates courts following the seizure of cash which they have reasonable grounds for suspecting is the proceeds of crime or intended for use in crime. Confiscation orders are made in the Crown court. The enforcement of confiscation orders is essentially a matter for HM Courts Service.
	
		
			  Value of cash forfeiture orders and confiscation orders obtained by police forces in the East of England 
			Value (£) 
			  Bedfordshire Police   
			 2003-04 Cash Forfeitures 0 
			  Confiscation 3,403,388 
			 2004-05 Cash Forfeitures 23,321 
			  Confiscation 131,661 
			 2005-06 Cash Forfeitures 38,601 
			  Confiscation 233,509 
			 2006-07 Cash Forfeitures 79,556 
			  Confiscation 321,707 
			 2007-08 Cash Forfeitures 197,833 
			  Confiscation 1,002,192 
			 2008-09 Cash Forfeitures 243,873 
			  Confiscation 986,774 
			
			  Cambridgeshire Constabulary   
			 2003-04 Cash Forfeitures 0 
			  Confiscation 278,675 
			 2004-05 Cash Forfeitures 21,345 
			  Confiscation 2,674,080 
			 2005-06 Cash Forfeitures 62,208 
			  Confiscation 156,358 
			 2006-07 Cash Forfeitures 100,524 
			  Confiscation 863,759 
			 2007-08 Cash Forfeitures 106,883 
			  Confiscation 1,345,645 
			 2008-09 Cash Forfeitures 26,801 
			  Confiscation 1,022,851 
			
			  Essex Police   
			 2003-04 Cash Forfeitures 0 
			  Confiscation 381,443 
			 2004-05 Cash Forfeitures 863,019 
			  Confiscation 289,269 
			 2005-06 Cash Forfeitures 790,484 
			  Confiscation 523,381 
			 2006-07 Cash Forfeitures 662,259 
			  Confiscation 837,593 
			 2007-08 Cash Forfeitures 426,874 
			  Confiscation 339,581 
			 2008-09 Cash Forfeitures 260,768 
			  Confiscation 907,359 
			
			  Hertfordshire Constabulary   
			 2003-04 Cash Forfeitures 0 
			  Confiscation 929,368 
			 2004-05 Cash Forfeitures 41,175 
			  Confiscation 246,432 
			 2005-06 Cash Forfeitures 22,711 
			  Confiscation 912,879 
			 2006-07 Cash Forfeitures 655,103 
			  Confiscation 558,882 
			 2007-08 Cash Forfeitures 289,059 
			  Confiscation 2,765,352 
			 2008-09 Cash Forfeitures 241,348 
			  Confiscation 1,242,902 
			
			  Norfolk Constabulary   
			 2003-04 Cash Forfeitures 0 
			  Confiscation 89,326 
			 2004-05 Cash Forfeitures 59,735 
			  Confiscation 849,764 
			 2005-06 Cash Forfeitures 96,332 
			  Confiscation 3,187,861 
			 2006-07 Cash Forfeitures 28,324 
			  Confiscation 241,939 
			 2007-08 Cash Forfeitures 34,977 
			  Confiscation 2,414,409 
			 2008-09 Cash Forfeitures 17,197 
			  Confiscation 758,807 
			
			  Suffolk Constabulary   
			 2003-04 Cash Forfeitures 0 
			  Confiscation 136,787 
			 2004-05 Cash Forfeitures 45,980 
			  Confiscation 320,374 
			 2005-06 Cash Forfeitures 27,824 
			  Confiscation 638,468 
			 2006-07 Cash Forfeitures 11,435 
			  Confiscation 457,050 
			 2007-08 Cash Forfeitures 134,263 
			  Confiscation 823,291 
			 2008-09 Cash Forfeitures 144,841 
			  Confiscation 593,213

Telecommunications: Databases

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the proportion of communications covered by the current interception of communications data procedures; and what estimate he has made of the likely proportion of coverage in each of the next 10 years should the Interception Modernisation Programme  (a) go ahead and  (b) not go ahead.

Alan Johnson: I have written to the hon. Member with information relating to this answer.

Terrorism

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been convicted of an offence under section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: Data relating to the number convicted under Terrorism Legislation since 2001 are contained in the following Home Office Bulletin: Statistics on Terrorism Arrests and Outcomes Great Britain-11 September 2001 to 31 March 2008. The bulletin shows that nine people have been convicted for offences under section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006.

Terrorism

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been convicted of an offence under section  (a) 56 and  (b) 59 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

David Hanson: Data relating to the number convicted under Terrorism Legislation since 2001 are contained in the following Home Office Bulletin: Statistics on Terrorism Arrests and Outcomes Great Britain-11 September 2001 to 31 March 2008. The number of individuals convicted under section 56 of the Terrorism Act 2000 is grouped together with those convicted under section 54 of that act. The bulletin shows that one person has been convicted under these sections of the legislation. Furthermore, seven people have been convicted of offences under section 59 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

Terrorism: Arrests

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been  (a) arrested and  (b) prosecuted for inciting terrorism overseas in each year since 2000.

Alan Johnson: Individuals suspected of terrorism offences are arrested under section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000 and not by specific offence. The Home Office does not hold specific data relating to the number of individuals arrested on suspicion of inciting acts of terrorism overseas. A total of 10 people have been charged with inciting acts of terrorism (under section 59 of the Terrorism Act 2000) since 2001. The breakdown of these figures is as follows:
	in 2001-02 there were 0 charges;
	in 2002-03 there were 0 charges;
	in 2003-04 one person was charged;
	in 2004-05 there were 0 charges;
	in 2005-06 three people were charged;
	in 2006-07 one person was charged; and
	in 2007-2008 five people were charged.
	Data relating to the numbers arrested and charged under Terrorism Legislation since 2001 are contained in the following Home Office Bulletin Statistics on Terrorism Arrests and Outcomes Great Britain-11 September 2001 to 31 March 2008.

Terrorism: Convictions

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been convicted under Section 57(4)(a) of the Terrorism Act 2000 in each year since 2001; and what the sentence was in each case.

Alan Johnson: Section 57 (4) (a) relates to the penalty for offences under section 57. A total of 22 people have been convicted of offences under section 57 of the Terrorism Act 2000 since 2001. The breakdown of these figures is as follows:
	in 2001-02 there were 0 convictions;
	in 2002-03 five people were convicted;
	in 2003-04 two people were convicted;
	in 2004-05 one person was convicted;
	in 2005-06 five people were convicted;
	in 2006-07 eight people were convicted; and
	in 2007-2008 one person was convicted.
	Data relating to the numbers convicted under Terrorism Legislation since 2001 are contained in the following Home Office Bulletin Statistics on Terrorism Arrests and Outcomes Great Britain-11 September 2001 to 31 March 2008. Data relating to sentencing for those convicted under the Terrorism Act 2000 are not recorded in a way which shows the sentence passed for offences under section 57.

Terrorism: Convictions

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been convicted under counter-terrorism legislation of fundraising in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: A total of 10 people have been convicted of fundraising offences (under sections 15-19 of the Terrorism Act 2000). The breakdown of these figures for the last five years is as follows: in 2003-04 there were 0 convictions; in 2004-05 there were 0 convictions; in 2005-06 four people were convicted; in 2006-07 one person was convicted; and, in 2007-08 three people were convicted. Data relating to the numbers arrested and charged under terrorism legislation since 2001 is contained in the Home Office Bulletin: Statistics on Terrorism Arrests and Outcomes Great Britain-11 September 2001 to 31 March 2008.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Apprentices: Birmingham

Richard Burden: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people in Birmingham, Northfield constituency completed an apprenticeship in each year since 2004.

Kevin Brennan: Apprenticeship Starts for 2003/04 to 2007/08 were published in a statistical first release (SFR) on 25 June:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/sfrjun09
	Supplementary table 5.1 shows apprenticeship starts by constituency, local authority, Government office region and England for 2003/04 to 2007/08. Provisional full-year figures for 2008/09 were published in a statistical first release on 22 October:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/sfroct09
	Supplementary geographic breakdowns will be available shortly after the main release.

Broadband

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what areas of  (a) England and  (b) North Yorkshire receive broadband over the BT network but cannot receive digital subscriber line at a speed of at least 512kBits/s.

Stephen Timms: The Department does not have this information.

Broadband: Lancashire

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to increase access to broadband services in  (a) Chorley and  (b) Lancashire.

Stephen Timms: We have recently set up the Network Design and Procurement Company as we pledged to do in the Digital Britain Report. The company will be responsible for procuring the upgrade and replacement works to deliver the universal service commitment (USC) for 2Mbps to virtually every community by 2012 and, in due course, the administration of the Next Generation Fund outlined in the Digital Britain White Paper.
	On take up of broadband and digital inclusion the Government have also appointed Martha Lane Fox as our digital inclusion champion. Her role will be to find ways of helping people without previous experience of computers to develop the skills needed to make use of the internet in order to take advantage of the benefits it offers.

Business Links: Sick Leave

Lorely Burt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many staff of Business Link have taken time off work as a result of a diagnosis of stress in each of the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: 'Staff of Business Link' encompasses people who are directly employed in the provision of the Business Link service, by RDAs and their Business Link providers. 'Time off work' has been defined as statutory-recorded sick leave. 'Diagnosis of stress' has been defined as individuals self-certifying as having a stress related illness and individuals whose doctors have signed them off from work with a diagnosis of stress.
	Comprehensive national data can only be provided for the year 2008-09 when all RDAs had completed the re-contracting exercise to the current network of Business Link providers. To gather data before 2008/09 would incur disproportionate costs. The number of Business Link staff who have taken time off work as a result if a diagnosis of stress in 2008/09 was 33.

Business: Government Assistance

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what deadlines have been set for repayment of loans offered under the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme.

Rosie Winterton: Any facilities offered by lenders and secured under the Enterprise Finance Guarantee should be repaid within the terms agreed between the borrower and the lender up to but not exceeding the maximum period permitted for that particular loan facility.
	EFG supports bank lending to businesses with an annual turnover of up to £25 million seeking loans of £1,000 through to £1 million, repayable over a period of between three months and 10 years.
	The overdraft borrowing guarantee top-up and the invoice finance guarantee top-up introduced on 30 September 2009 is limited to a maximum repayment term of two and three years respectively.
	Accredited EFG lenders have the discretion to agree capital repayment holidays where they deem appropriate.

Business: Government Assistance

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on what conditions loans are offered to businesses under the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme.

Rosie Winterton: There are three main conditions for a business being offered an EFG loan application:
	The business meeting the lender's normal commercial criteria in relation to the viability of the business and serviceability of the loan. This judgment will vary according to the lender concerned.
	The lender determining that use of EFG, rather than a normal commercial loan, is necessary because of no or insufficient security available on the part of the business.
	The business meeting the basic EFG eligibility criteria.
	Each lender has access to the EFG web portal through which they administer the EFG eligibility criteria. The main EFG eligibility criteria, with respect to the size of loan, purpose of loan, turnover size, business sector, etc., is detailed on the BIS website:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/enterprise/finance/efg/page37607.html

Business: Government Assistance

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the reasons for which businesses which were offered loans under the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme did not draw down those loans.

Rosie Winterton: Businesses granted loan facilities backed by the Enterprise Finance Guarantee are given six months within which to draw down the facilities offered.
	The current conversion rate from offered to drawn loans exceeds 80 per cent. and is expected to rise. Given the scheme was launched in January, it is too early to make any comprehensive assessment of the reasons behind a few businesses deciding not to draw down loans offered under the scheme.

Further Education

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will place in the Library a copy of the KPMG report for the Learning and Skills Council on learner success rates in further education.

Kevin Brennan: This is a Learning and Skills Council (LSC) report, commissioned by the LSC/Ofsted Joint Consultative Committee. KPMG were technical advisers for the report. A copy of the report has been placed in the Library.

Further Education: Finance

Joan Walley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what criteria the Learning and Skills Council requested its consultants to apply in evaluating bids by further education colleges for capital funding.

Kevin Brennan: In line with Sir Andrew Foster's recommendations, the Learning and Skills Council consulted with the FE sector through a reference panel of college principals convened by the Association of Colleges on the best approach to prioritise projects.
	The first stage of prioritisation was 'readiness' to identify those projects sufficiently developed to be able to start work immediately in the autumn.
	Projects which passed through the readiness gateway were then assessed against the following prioritisation criteria:
	Education and skills impact
	Contribution to local economic and regeneration priorities
	Co-dependency with third parties
	Condition of estate
	Value for money.
	The LSC has published on its website full details of the Lambert Smith Hampton readiness report and the results of the PricewaterhouseCoopers prioritisation exercise. It can be found at:
	http://propertyservices.lsc.gov.uk/other/

Higher Education

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what percentage of university students had not received payments due to them from Student Finance England before the start of the academic year 2009-10; what average length of time elapsed from the start of the academic year until receipt of payments for such students; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: Payments of maintenance grant and loan to higher education students are not made until they have registered on their course and the higher education institution has told the Student Loans Company. Registrations take place throughout September and October.
	The Student Loans Company will shortly release figures to show the levels of processing and payment of student support in England for the 2009/10 academic year.
	The releases will include the following information:
	Total applications received
	Applications approved
	Applications currently being processed
	Ineligible/withdrawn applications
	Applications started online but not completed
	Further information required from student/sponsors
	Students receiving first maintenance payment.
	The first release of this information will be on 27 October 2009, and this will cover the processing and payment up to and including 18 October. This will be followed by a further two updates at weekly intervals. The information will be made available on the Student Loans Company website.
	All eligible students who applied by the deadline had payments approved; some were interim payments. Those who have received an interim payment, but have provided the correct evidence by the end of August, will receive any additional payments they are entitled to by the end of October.

Higher Education

Nigel Evans: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of students studying for higher education qualifications concerning  (a) physics,  (b) chemistry,  (c) biology and  (d) media studies.

David Lammy: The latest figures for postgraduate and undergraduate enrolments in physics, chemistry, biology and media studies are shown in the table.
	Figures for the 2008-09 academic year will be available from the Higher Education Statistics Agency in January 2010.
	
		
			  Enrolments( 1)  in physics, chemistry, biology and media studies by level of study UK higher education institutions: 2007-08 
			   Level of study 
			  Subject of Study  Postgraduate  Undergraduate 
			 Physics 3,515 11,355 
			 Chemistry 4,550 14,265 
			 Biology 4,340 22,020 
			 Media studies 2,880 25,205 
			 (1) Covers students of all domiciles enrolled on full-time and part-time courses.  Notes:  1. Figures are based on a HESA Standard Registration Population.  2. Figures have been rounded to the nearest five.  Source:  Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)

Internet: Computer Viruses

John Mann: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps the Government are taking to protect UK internet users from computer viruses and malicious software.

Stephen Timms: The Government acknowledge that viruses and malware are a significant problem for UK internet users. We have supported initiatives-in particular Get Safe Online-that encourage users to adopt technological measures and good on-line behaviour to avoid becoming victims.
	This was a theme that was also covered in the Digital Britain Report. The report announced the creation of a Tripartite Initiative between Government, business and law enforcement to work together to tackle low level crime. It also announced new activity by the Office of Fair Trading to deal with scams conducted through the internet. Law enforcement officials work with banks and the internet industry to identify the sources of the problems, seeking to have such sites removed and to identify those responsible.

Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people have traded in their cars under the car scrappage scheme in the West Midlands since the introduction of the scheme.

Ian Lucas: Using data based on the locations of dealerships and data for scrappage transactions which have been completed and vehicles delivered, there have been 15,190 completed scrappage transactions in the West Midlands.

Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many car dealerships have accepted cars under the car scrappage scheme in the West Midlands since the introduction of the scheme.

Ian Lucas: There are 401 car dealerships in the West Midlands which have accepted claims under the car scrappage scheme.

Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans there are for the future of the car scrappage scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Lucas: On 28 September 2009 the Government announced plans for a further £100 million of funding for the scheme. This would mean that the scheme will cover up to 400,000 transactions. It will come to an end on 28 February 2010 or when the funding runs out, whichever is the sooner.

Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the additional revenue accruing to the motor industry as a result of the car scrappage scheme since the introduction of the scheme.

Ian Lucas: A BIS assessment of the UK scrappage scheme has estimated a short term stimulus to the value of UK vehicles sales worth approximately £2.1 billion. On 28 September 2009 the Government announced an extension to the scheme. The revised cumulative figure is currently expected to be £2.8 billion by the time the scheme comes to an end.

National Economic Council Sub-Committee on Better Regulation

John Penrose: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what  (a) regulations and  (b) other proposals for new regulation the National Economic Council Sub-Committee on Better Regulation has considered since its establishment;
	(2)  how many times the National Economic Council Sub-Committee on Better Regulation has reported to the National Economic Council its conclusions on  (a) regulation and  (b) proposals for new regulation since its establishment;
	(3)  how many times the National Economic Council Sub-Committee on Better Regulation has met since April 2009.

Tessa Jowell: I have been asked to reply.
	Information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet and Cabinet committees is generally not disclosed as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.

National Skills Academy for Creative and Cultural Skills: Thurrock

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on the funding package for the National Skills Academy for Creative and Cultural Skills in Thurrock; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: holding answer 28 October 2009
	The NSA Creative and Cultural has a key role to play in the regeneration of the Thames Gateway through transforming the delivery of skills to meet business needs in this important sector. It will be play a valuable role in the development of technician skills in the Performing Arts in the run up to the 2012 Olympics and will provide a centre of excellence in these skills not available elsewhere. I discussed the Creative and Cultural National Skills Academy with my hon. Friend the Member for Stevenage (Barbara Follett) the then Minister for Culture and Tourism, during the recess.

Quantum Technology Partnership

Peter Luff: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress has been made on the proposed Quantum Technology Partnership in South Worcestershire; what involvement  (a) his Department and  (b) the regional development agency have had with the project; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 16 October 2009
	The Quantum Technology Partnership is intended to bring together QinetiQ, universities and industry to create a world class centre for the industrial exploitation of quantum technology research. AWM has been working with the partners to develop the project over the past 12 months. The agency has employed a specialist project manager to support the partners, and has also commissioned economic impact work and contributed to the costs of some of the property aspects of the project.
	In January AWM received an application for funding of up to £10 million towards the project. The project received outline approval on 6 August 2009 and a full application is expected to be received for appraisal later this month. Subject to satisfactory appraisal and approval by the Agency's Investment Decision Group a funding agreement could be in place in January 2010.
	The partners have also sought funding from BIS; the Department is exploring funding opportunities with AWM.

Spaceflight

Nigel Evans: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions his Department has had on the development of a UK Space Agency in the last two years.

David Lammy: In the last two years my Department has held no formal discussions on the development of a UK Space Agency.
	A public consultation on the funding and management of UK civil space activities has just closed. Respondents were asked to state whether there is there a case for considering different institutional arrangements for funding and managing UK civil space activities and if so, what possible alternative models might the Government consider.
	Officials are considering the responses to the consultation and will report to Lord Drayson this year.

Spaceflight

Nigel Evans: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much the Government spent directly or through indirect support for projects relating to space exploration in the latest year for which figures are available; and how much it intends to spend in the next 12 months.

David Lammy: The UK, through the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), participates in the Aurora robotic space exploration programme of the European Space Agency (ESA).
	In 2008-09, the UK spent a total of £14.6 million on the programme directly in the UK and through subscription to ESA. In 2009-10 the UK is expected to spend £16.1 million on the programme. Expenditure for 2010-11 is subject to a future decision by STFC.

Students: Grants

Vincent Cable: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students received non-repayable maintenance grants from  (a) Richmond-upon-Thames education authority and  (b) all English local education authorities in each of the last five years; and what the average grant received by such students was in each case in each of the last five years.

David Lammy: The information is as follows.
	
		
			  Students awarded grants in academic years 2004 - 05 to 2008 - 09 (provisional)( 1) 
			  Academic year  Number of students awarded grants  Average (£) 
			  Richmond-upon-Thames   
			 2004-05 470 1,040 
			 2005-06 780 1,010 
			 2006-07 1,110 1,550 
			 2007-08 1,390 1,860 
			 2008-09(2) 1,440 2,240 
			
			  England   
			 2004-05 127,000 1,170 
			 2005-06 215,000 1,120 
			 2006-07 333,000 1,660 
			 2007-08 404,000 2,000 
			 2008-09(2) 453,000 2,290 
			 (1) Figures cover the higher education grant, the maintenance grant and grants and allowances for children and dependents. (2) Provisional 2008/09 data at mid-November 2008. Figures may change as later applications are processed.  Source: Student Loans Company 
		
	
	Grant figures in the table cover the higher education grant, introduced in 2004, the maintenance grant, phased in from 2006, and grants and allowances for children and dependants. Different amounts are available for each type of grant. Figures contain students in each year of their courses. The amount a student receives depends on household income, year of entry to higher education and personal circumstances.

Students: Loans

David Drew: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with the Student Loans Company (SLC) on its research on the number of students expected to enter higher education in autumn 2009; and what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of SLC staffing levels to deal with that number of applications.

David Lammy: The financial settlement requested by the Student Loans Company (SLC) for financial year 2009-10 assumed an additional 24,000 applications would be received in academic year 2009-10 compared to the previous year. The Department met SLC's 2009-10 financial settlement in full, providing all of the £6.9 million additional costs identified by the Company-including £993,000 specifically to process the expected 24,000 additional applications. Subsequently, the Department provided a further £230,000 following a request from the company to help deal with the larger than expected number of telephone calls received during August to October.

Students: Loans

David Drew: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with the Student Loans Company on the robustness of its complaints system.

David Lammy: It is important that the Student Loans Company has sound arrangements for dealing with complaints. My officials were involved in the recent review of complaints handling undertaken by the company. In May 2009, I appointed four new assessors to offer independent and impartial decisions on cases that are not resolved within the company. In June 2009, I set performance targets for the company relating to handling of complaints as part of a broad set of robust performance measures.

Students: Loans

David Drew: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent representations he has received concerning the operation of the Student Loans Company; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: I have had a number of representations from customers having difficulty in contacting the Student Loans Company to enquire about their applications for student support for the 2009-10 academic year because the Company has received more telephone calls than it can answer. The SLC has put in place a number of measures to help students follow the progress of their applications, and to address the problems people have had when trying to get through to their call centres. These include: creating 70 per cent. additional telephone lines; adding 144 staff to answer phones, as well as more staff working overtime at the SLC and its outsource providers, increasing call centre operating capacity by around 35 per cent.; reminding students that they can check the status of their application online; and making improvements to answers to the most common enquiries on the internet, and directing callers to these via a recorded telephone message.
	The Student Loans Company will shortly release figures to show the levels of processing and payment of Student Support in England for the 2009-10 academic year.
	The releases will include the following information:
	Total applications received
	Applications approved
	Applications currently being processed
	Ineligible/withdrawn applications
	Applications started online but not completed
	Further information required from student/sponsors
	Students receiving first maintenance payment.
	The first release of this information will be on 27 October 2009, and this will cover the processing and payment up to and including 18 October 2009. This will be followed by a further two updates at weekly intervals. The information will be made available on the Student Loans Company website.

Students: Loans

David Drew: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students have not yet had their application to the Student Loans Company finalised; and what assessment he has made of undue delays in finalising loans on the ability of new students to manage their finances without having to resort to other loans and bank overdrafts.

David Lammy: The Student Loans Company will shortly release figures to show the levels of processing and payment of Student Support in England for the 2009-10 academic year.
	The releases will include the following information:
	Total applications received
	Applications approved
	Applications currently being processed
	Ineligible/withdrawn applications
	Applications started online but not completed
	Further information required from student/sponsors
	Students receiving first maintenance payment.
	The first release of this information will be on 27 October 2009, and this will cover the processing and payment up to and including 18 October 2009. This will be followed by a further two updates at weekly intervals. The information will be made available on the Student Loans Company website.
	The Access to Learning Fund, provided by the Government and administered by Higher Education Institutions, can provide assistance to students in financial hardship.

Students: Loans

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much has been deducted in student loan repayments from the salaries of individuals in each income group resident in  (a) the Truro and St. Austell constituency,  (b) Cornwall and  (c) England in each of the last five years.

David Lammy: Deductions from salaries are made when the borrower's income is above £15,000 per year, £1,250 per month or £288 per week. A borrower who starts work late in the tax year on an annual salary above £15,000 will have deductions made but may have earnings during the tax year of less than £15,000.
	Reliable information is not available at constituency level.

Students: Loans

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people of each age group resident in  (a) the Truro and St. Austell constituency,  (b) Cornwall and  (c) England had not repaid their student loans on the latest date for which figures are available.

David Lammy: Borrowers become liable to repay their loans in the April after they leave their course (the statutory repayment due date, SRDD). After that date those with earnings of over £15,000 will repay, usually by deductions from salary. Those liable to repay who have not yet made a repayment will include borrowers whose earnings are below the repayment threshold, have gone on to further study or are doing voluntary work.
	Reliable information is not available at constituency level.

Students: Loans

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate his Department has made of the average time it will take for an individual to repay in full a student loan taken out  (a) before and  (b) after 2006.

David Lammy: We estimate that students who entered higher education since 1998, who took out Income Contingent Repayment student loans, and who fully repay, will take an average of around 13 years to do so.

Telephones: North West

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) households and  (b) businesses in each local authority area in the North West that will be (i) liable for and (ii) exempt from payment of the levy on telephone lines proposed in the Digital Britain White Paper.

Stephen Timms: This Department has made no specific estimate of the number of  (a) households and  (b) businesses in each local authority area in the North West which will be (i) liable for and (ii) exempt from payment of the levy on telephone lines proposed in the Digital Britain White Paper.
	Ofcom estimates that there are over three million fixed lines in the North West area. We do not have estimates on the number of people on benefits in this area but recognise that those on the lowest incomes might have difficulty paying the fixed line levy and that is why we have confirmed that those on social telephony schemes will be exempt. The social telephony schemes are available to those on income support, income-based Job Seeker's Allowance, Employment Support Allowance (income rated) or Guaranteed Pensions Credit.

Train to Gain Programme

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many qualifications at each level have been awarded through Train to Gain in each year since the programme's inception.

Kevin Brennan: Train to Gain achievements for 2005/06 (April to July) to 2008/09, by level, were published in table 7.2 of the Post-16 Education and Skills statistical first release (SFR) on 22 October 2009:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/sfroct09

Train to Gain Programme

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many qualifications have been awarded to individuals working for  (a) small,  (b) medium-sized and  (c) large companies through Train to Gain in each year since the programme's inception.

Kevin Brennan: The table shows Train to Gain achievements by employer size, in each year since the programme's inception.
	
		
			  Train to Gain achievements by employer size 
			  Employer size (number of employees)  2005 - 06  2006 - 07  2007 - 08  2008 - 09( 1) 
			 1 to 49 400 18,200 72,000 189,100 
			 50 to 249 500 12,100 46,200 111,400 
			 250 to 4,999 500 9,200 31,500 89,800 
			 5,000 or more 1,400 6,000 15,000 41,300 
			 Not defined 3,700 25,700 21,800 40,300 
			 Total 6,500 71,100 186,500 471,900 
			 (1) Provisional data.  Notes: 1. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest hundred and may not sum to totals due to rounding. 2. Figures for 2008/09 are not comparable with earlier years. In 2008/09 NVQs delivered in the workplace which were previously funded by FE are now funded through Train to Gain.  Source:  WBL ILR

UK High Technology Fund

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 9 September 2009,  Official Report, column 2092W, on the UK High Technology Fund (UKHTF), what the cost of management fees related to the UKHTF has been in each year since its formation; for what reasons the number of companies receiving funding through the UKHTF was lower in 2007 and 2008 than in 2006; which underlying funds have received funding from the UKHTF; what the monetary value of funding from the UKHTF to underlying funds was in each year since 2001; and how much funding remains available for  (a) future funding of underlying funds and  (b) in underlying funds which have received funding from UKHTF for future investments in business.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 14 October 2009
	The following table provides a response to the questions related to underlying funds that have received funding from the UKHTF; the monetary value of investments from the UKHTF to underlying funds in each year since 2001; and how much funding remains available for future funding of underlying funds.
	The number of companies receiving investment through UKHTF was lower in 2007 and 2008 than in 2006 as a natural consequence of the underlying funds entering their post investment period where the focus was towards managing out and exiting the existing portfolio.
	Unfortunately the information requested in this question about cost of management fees related to UKHTF is commercially sensitive at this time in light of work BIS is undertaking to source a fund of funds manager for the UK Innovation Investment Fund (UKIIF). The information will be released once the UKIIF fund of funds manager is appointed and this is likely to happen at the end of December.
	We are unable to answer the question about how much funding remains available in underlying funds which have received funding from UKHTF for future investments in business, as this goes beyond the Department's interaction with the fund of funds manager.
	
		
			   Commitment  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  Total  Commitment remaining 
			 MTI4 Limited Partnership 20,193 8,193 2,000 4,000 4,000 2,000 - - - 20,193 - 
			 Amadeus Capital Partners II 15,271 4,421 775 2,170 2,635 2,170 1,085 775 310 14,341 930 
			 The Merlin Biosciences Fund 12,816 5,241 2,422 2,188 1,200 1,085 395 261 24 12,816 - 
			 Advent Private Equity Fund III 20,001 4,801 4,900 2,800 3,200 2,000 1,300 467 667 19,201 800 
			 Add One 10,157 2,569 442 1,106 1,808 1,489 1,013 719 352 9,498 659 
			 Accel Europe 8,577 536 1,037 663 1,851 1,474 1,608 1,047 151 8,367 210 
			 Scottish Equity Partners II 10,000 1,203 1,241 910 1,925 1,273 2,392 1,056 - 10,000 - 
			 Quester Venture Partnership 20,000 3,000 1,800 3,700 1,700 4,000 2,044 1,756 500 18,500 1,500 
			 The Merlin Biosciences Fund III 6,973 - 160 1,270 986 1,711 1,199 670 289 6,285 688 
			  123,988 29,964 14,777 18,807 19,305 17,202 11,036 5,817 2,293 119,201 4,787

Vocational Training: Birmingham

Richard Burden: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what funding his Department has made available to  (a) all unemployed persons and  (b) unemployed persons under the age of 21 years in (i) Birmingham, Northfield constituency and (ii) Birmingham to learn new skills to retrain in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: The information is not available at constituency or Jobcentre Plus district level. I have asked the acting chief executive of the Learning and Skills Council to write to my hon. Friend with information about funding for training for unemployed people available in his region.
	A copy of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

JUSTICE

European Court of Human Rights

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the number of cases resolved in the UK courts under the provisions of the Human Rights Act 1998 in respect of which leave to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights might otherwise have been sought; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: It is not possible to appeal directly from proceedings in UK courts to the European Court of Human Rights. Proceedings at the European Court of Human Rights take the form of a new application against the United Kingdom under the European convention on human rights, which may or may not relate to proceedings before the domestic courts. It is not therefore possible to make a direct numerical estimate of the effect of the Human Rights Act in resolving cases that may otherwise have been considered by the European Court of Human Rights.

Advisory Panel on Judicial Diversity

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many staff working for the Advisory Panel on Judicial Diversity have been seconded from  (a) his Department and  (b) other Government Departments;
	(2)  how many staff are working for the Advisory Panel on Judicial Diversity.

Jack Straw: The Advisory Panel on Judicial Diversity has no separate support. It is being supported by officials from within the Constitution  Judiciary Division of the Ministry of Justice, within existing budgets.
	None of the officials works full-time for or on the advisory panel, but, seven spend significant time on it.

Advisory Panel on Judicial Diversity

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what criteria were used to appoint members of the Advisory Panel on Judicial Diversity.

Jack Straw: The Advisory Panel on Judicial Diversity was set up by me to give advice on possible changes to improve judicial diversity. The members were selected because of their experience. of the justice system, equality and diversity issues, and their capacity to identify and develop practical proposals for change.
	The chair of the panel is Baroness Julia Neuberger DBE, while the other members of the panel are:
	Dr. Nicola Brewer CMG
	Dame Professor Hazel Genn DBE QC
	Lord Justice Goldring
	Andrew Holroyd CBE
	Winston Hunter QC
	Details of their biographies can be obtained from the following link
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/news/newsrelease280409b.htm#panel-members.

Advisory Panel on Judicial Diversity

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the estimated annual cost is of running the Advisory Panel on Judicial Diversity.

Jack Straw: The Advisory Panel on Judicial Diversity has been asked to report within 12 months of starting and so will not have ongoing annual running costs.
	The costs of the panel, from April 2009 to the end of September, were £13,447.

Departmental Telephone Services

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will consider the merits of securing accreditation of his Department's helplines to the Helplines Association's quality standard; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: The Ministry of Justice is considering whether all of its helplines should be required to attain a relevant recognised accreditation. If the Department proceeds with this requirement, it will discuss with each helpline which of the available accreditations (including the Helplines Association standard) is best suited to its business needs.

Driving Offences

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have been prosecuted for driving cars while uninsured in each police authority area in the East of England in each year since 1999.

Claire Ward: The number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts in the East of England Government office region for using a motor vehicle uninsured against third party risks, by police force area, from 1999 to 2007 (latest available) is given in the following table.
	Data for 2008 are planned for publication at the end of January 2010.
	
		
			  The number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts for using a motor vehicle uninsured against third party risks( 1)  in the East of England Government office region, 1999 to 2007( 2,3,4) 
			  Area  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003( 5)  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Bedfordshire 2,113 2,124 2,879 2,871 3,065 2,968 3,090 2,702 2,436 
			 Cambridgeshire 1,665 1,682 1,334 1,518 1,728 1,793 2,003 2,826 1,972 
			 Essex 4,581 5,177 5,076 5,152 4,791 4,724 4,802 4,511 4,865 
			 Hertfordshire 2,822 3,407 3,869 4,675 5,147 5,462 5,820 6,023 4,523 
			 Norfolk 2,092 2,363 2,753 3,166 3,812 3,204 2,725 2,690 2,509 
			 Suffolk 2,307 2,115 2,310 2,594 3,225 3,232 2,588 2,250 1,768 
			 Total 15,580 16,868 18,221 19,976 21,768 21,383 21,028 21,002 18,073 
			 (1) Offence under the Road Traffic Act 1988, section 143(2).  (2) Data given are on a principal offence basis. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.  (3) It is known that for some police force areas the reporting of court proceedings, in particular those relating to summary motoring offences, may be less than complete.  (4) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  (5) As from 1 June 2003, driving a motor vehicle while uninsured against third party risks became a fixed penalty offence.   Source:  Office for Criminal Justice Reform-Evidence and Analysis Unit.

Judges: Retirement

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many judges have retired in each of the last three years.

Jack Straw: The following table sets out the numbers of retirements and deaths in service of those who previously held judicial office in England and Wales over the last three financial years.
	
		
			   Number of retirements  Number of deaths in service 
			 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 55 7 
			 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008 70 9 
			 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009 93 1

Members: Correspondence

John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will issue a direction to the coroner for North West Kent to reply to the letters of 29 June and 26 August 2009 from the right hon. Member for Tonbridge and Malling sent on behalf of his constituent Mr Simon Higgins.

Bridget Prentice: Although Ministers in this Department do not have any authority to intervene in operational matters of this nature, I understand that the coroner had not in fact received the right hon. Member's correspondence as it had been sent to a previous address. However, he has now been sent copies and I understand that he has replied.

Prison Accommodation

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offenders convicted of terrorism offences have been housed in approved premises following their release from custody since January 2007; and what additional resources were provided to assist with their supervision in each case.

Maria Eagle: Since September 2008, information on the release details of individuals convicted of terrorism or terrorism-related offences has been held centrally. Since then, 11 terrorist offenders have been released to approved premises. Data about offenders released into approved premises (formerly known as bail/probation hostels) are collected centrally, from information supplied by individual approved premises. The data collected do not include offence details more generally. Obtaining this information dating back to 2007 would have to be done on a case by case basis, and as such could be collected only at disproportionate cost.
	Probation areas may apply to register with the National Offender Management Service as Critical Public Protection Cases (CPPCs) those offenders, including offenders convicted of terrorism or terrorism-related offences, who present the highest levels of risk of harm. Where offenders are registered as CPPCs, areas may apply for additional funding to strengthen local risk management plans: Such funding can cover temporary additional staffing in approved premises, a member of staff to escort offenders outside the approved premises, improvements to security equipment at approved premises or other specific interventions which contribute to public protection.

Prisoners Release

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners released under the End of Custody Licence scheme since June 2007 had previously been refused release on Home Detention Curfew.

Maria Eagle: Between 29 June 2007 and 31 August 2009, around 67,400 prisoners were released under End of Custody Licence, the latest date for which this figure is available. Of these, around 11,200, about 17 per cent. had previously been refused release on home detention curfew.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	There is a significant difference between the operation of the HDC scheme and release on ECL. Release on HDC can lead to the release on licence for up to four and a half months before the automatic release date. The average period spent on HDC is about two and a half months. In contrast, the maximum period spent on ECL is two and a half weeks, 18 days.
	The qualifying criteria and selection processes for the schemes reflect these differences.

Prisoners Release

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many persons convicted of terrorist offences have been released into post-custody supervision in the community since 2001.

Jack Straw: Since 2007, the National Offender Management Service has held information centrally on the number of offenders convicted of terrorist or terrorism-related offences who have been released into post-custody supervision. To provide the information requested, going back to 2001, would require manual checking of records, which could be undertaken only at disproportionate cost.
	Since 2007, 36 offenders convicted of terrorist or terrorism-related offences have been released to licensed supervision in the community. None of these offenders has been arrested or convicted of a terrorist or terrorism-related offence following release.

Prisoners Release

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many 18 to 24-year-olds released from prison received support under  (a) section 21 of the National Assistance Act 1948 and  (b) section 47 of the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 immediately on their release in (i) 2007, (ii) 2008 and (iii) 2009.

Maria Eagle: Data on the release of offenders who subsequently receive accommodation related support from both local authorities and community care services are not routinely collected by NOMS. Additionally, approximately 55 per cent. of all sentenced releases from custody do not receive a period of statutory supervision. Therefore there is no facility for recording such information and to provide the data requested would be at disproportionate cost.

Prisoners: Mothers

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of the female prison population are mothers.

Maria Eagle: This information is not collected centrally and in order to provide it staff would need to look at each individual's record. This could be completed only at disproportionate cost. In addition, it would not be possible to guarantee the accuracy of the data as they are often reliant on information being provided by the prisoners themselves.
	The 2003-04 resettlement survey commissioned by the then Prison Service Custody to Work Unit showed that half of all female prisoners had dependent children (including stepchildren), and that 46 per cent. of those women had lived with at least one dependent child before custody.

Reoffenders

Keith Hill: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the reconviction rate of offenders  (a) under and  (b) over the age of 18 following (i) a non-custodial sentence and (ii) each successive custodial sentence up to and including the tenth was in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Maria Eagle: Tables 1 and 2 following show the one year reoffending rates for adult offenders released from custody or commencing a court order in the first quarter of 2007; table 1 by custodial and court orders and table 2 by previous custodial sentences. The tables show the proportion of offenders that committed at least one further offence and the number of further offences committed per 100 offenders.
	
		
			  Table 1: Actual reoffending rate and frequency rate per 100 offenders from the 2007 adult cohort 
			  Sentence type  Number of offenders released from prison or commencing a court order  Actual reoffending rate  Number of offences per 100 offenders 
			 Custody 12,810 47.2 223.2 
			 Court orders under probation supervision(1) 37,275 36.1 121.3 
			 (1) Court orders include community sentences, community orders and suspended sentence orders supervised by the probation service. They do not include any pre or post release supervision. 
		
	
	Further information on adult rates of reoffending can be found in:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/reoffendingofadults.htm
	
		
			  Table 2: Actual reoffending rate and frequency rate per 100 offenders, by number of previous custodial sentences, from the 2007 adult cohort 
			  Number of previous custodial sentences  Number of offenders released from prison or commencing a court order  Actual reoffending rate  Number of offences per 100 offenders 
			 No previous 26,819 25.2 72.6 
			 One previous 6,225 40.3 131.4 
			 Two previous 3,629 48.9 179.9 
			 Three previous 2,491 52.4 198.2 
			 Four previous 1,883 56.6 236.3 
			 Five previous 1,585 59.9 256.8 
			 Between six and 10 4,516 64.5 288.7 
			 More than 10 2,937 76.4 447.1 
			 Total 50,085 39.0 147.3 
		
	
	Tables 3 and 4 following show the one year reoffending rates for juvenile offenders released from custody, commencing a non-custodial court disposal or those given an out-of-court disposal in the first quarter of 2007; table 3 by custodial and non-custodial sentences and table 4 by previous custodial sentences. The table shows the proportion of juvenile offenders that committed at least one further offence and the number of further offences committed per 100 offenders.
	
		
			  Table 3: One year reoffending rates, offenders leaving custody by custodial and non-custodial sentences, from the 2007 juvenile cohort 
			   Number of juvenile offenders released from custody, commencing a noncustodial court disposal or those given an out-of-court disposal  Actual reoffending rate  Number of offences per 100 offenders 
			 Out-of-court disposal 33,318 26.4 59.7 
			 First-tier penalty 10,869 47.4 154.5 
			 Other disposal 822 65.2 288.0 
			 Community penalty 6,757 69.0 280.4 
			 Custody 778 75.3 359.0 
			 Total 52,544 37.5 115.7 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 4: Actual reoffending rate and frequency rate per 100 offenders, by number of previous custodial sentences, from the 2007 juvenile cohort 
			  Number of previous custodial sentences  Number of juvenile offenders released from custody, commencing a non-custodial court disposal  or those given an  out-of-court disposal  Actual reoffending rate  Number of offences per 100 offenders 
			 No previous 51,101 36.2 106.9 
			 One previous 778 80.5 372.4 
			 Two previous 333 85.0 452.6 
			 Three previous 161 86.3 539.8 
			 Four previous 78 88.5 485.9 
			 Five previous 54 90.7 472.2 
			 More than six previous 39 89.7 594.9 
			 Total 52,544 37.5 115.7 
		
	
	Further information on rates of reoffending of juveniles can be found in:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/reoffendingjuveniles.htm

Sentencing

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what  (a) minimum and  (b) maximum sentence applies for someone convicted of an offence involving stealing car keys from a house then stealing a vehicle parked outside.

Jack Straw: The more serious matter here is the stealing of keys within the house. This constitutes burglary in a dwelling, for which the maximum penalty is 14 years' imprisonment. That is the offence likely to be charged. There is no minimum penalty unless this is a third offence of domestic burglary, in which case there is a minimum penalty of three years for an adult.

Shoplifting: Sentencing

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many incidents of shoplifting led to  (a) a caution and  (b) a conviction resulting in (i) probation and (ii) a custodial sentence in each parliamentary constituency in the East of England in each year since 1999.

Claire Ward: Information held by the Ministry of Justice on the number of offenders cautioned, found guilty, sentenced and those given a sentence that includes an element of probation at all courts for 'stealing from shops and stalls' (shoplifting), in the East of England region, 1999 to 2007, are shown in the following tables 1 and 2.
	The court proceedings database does not hold specific information on the offender beyond age, gender and the court where the case was heard; therefore the Ministry of Justice cannot tell if the offender was a resident of the East of England region.
	Court proceedings data for 2008 are planned for publication at the end of January 2010.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of offenders cautioned( 1, 2 ) for 'Shoplifting'( 3) , East of England region, 1999 to 2007( 4) 
			  Region/police force area  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Bedfordshire 681 492 647 513 641 753 855 887 687 
			 Cambridgeshire 433 532 430 428 420 550 843 770 601 
			 Essex 1,016 946 1,014 810 767 805 1,277 2,069 2,611 
			 Hertfordshire 568 704 777 604 662 760 749 897 980 
			 Norfolk 573 638 495 382 400 580 648 886 708 
			 Suffolk 379 572 599 396 428 466 487 521 604 
			 East of England region 3,650 3,884 3,962 3,133 3,318 3,914 4,859 6,030 6,191 
			 (1) The cautions statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been cautioned for two or more offences at the same time, the principal offence is the more serious offence. (2) From 1 June 2000, the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and warnings. These figures have been included in the totals. (3) Stealing from 'shops and stalls' (shoplifting) is an offence under Theft Act 1968, section 1. (4) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts, and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Office for Criminal Justice Reform: Evidence and Analysis Unit. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of offenders found guilty, sentenced and given a community rehabilitation order( 1) , community order( 2) , suspended sentence( 3)  or an immediate custodial sentence for 'Shoplifting'( 4)  at all courts, East of England region, 1999 to 2007( 5, 6) 
			  Region/police force area  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			  Bedfordshire  
			 Found guilty 798 805 867 916 1,098 1,073 879 551 594 
			 Total sentenced 809 812 874 928 1,109 1,076 881 554 593 
			  Of which:  
			 Community rehabilitation order 125 154 146 152 155 129 91 - - 
			 Community order n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 40 100 110 
			 Suspended sentence - - 2 3 2 2 3 22 25 
			 Immediate custodial sentence 176 213 236 268 312 285 229 106 112 
			   
			  Cambridgeshire  
			 Found guilty 704 872 895 857 791 717 802 808 717 
			 Total sentenced 701 869 897 853 791 716 803 808 710 
			  Of which:  
			 Community rehabilitation order 68 116 121 171 124 124 39 1 - 
			 Community order n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 92 152 152 
			 Suspended sentence - 2 - - - - 11 33 45 
			 Immediate custodial sentence 82 101 122 97 113 86 99 119 109 
			   
			  Essex  
			 Found guilty 1,622 1,578 1,744 1,624 1,686 1,646 1,841 1,715 1,913 
			 Total sentenced 1,628 1,573 1,746 1,631 1,701 1,646 1,846 1,716 1,896 
			  Of which:  
			 Community rehabilitation order 214 229 230 236 229 151 68 4 3 
			 Community order n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 164 311 394 
			 Suspended sentence 3 - 3 1 2 2 36 98 113 
			 Immediate custodial sentence 360 372 466 486 542 518 535 419 432 
			   
			  Hertfordshire  
			 Found guilty 779 889 917 964 1,051 1,130 1,126 874 846 
			 Total sentenced 781 892 916 966 1,049 1,126 1,131 867 839 
			  Of which:  
			 Community rehabilitation order 121 129 154 160 165 134 71 2 1 
			 Community order n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 106 178 182 
			 Suspended sentence 1 - 1 - 2 - 18 40 43 
			 Immediate custodial sentence 86 134 176 199 191 237 239 199 160 
			   
			  Norfolk  
			 Found guilty 1,027 991 1,088 1,045 944 925 923 1,040 885 
			 Total sentenced 1,033 989 1,083 1,043 941 919 920 1,035 885 
			  Of which:  
			 Community rehabilitation order 92 107 146 151 90 60 35 6 2 
			 Community order n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 116 256 192 
			 Suspended sentence 1 2 3 3 3 - 14 56 36 
			 Immediate custodial sentence 122 133 152 147 152 157 106 136 150 
			   
			  Suffolk  
			 Found guilty 666 749 771 743 839 726 745 659 732 
			 Total sentenced 654 745 770 739 836 724 744 658 725 
			  Of which:  
			 Community rehabilitation order 59 92 94 88 98 52 55 4 2 
			 Community order n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 27 77 131 
			 Suspended sentence 2 2 1 3 3 4 40 42 56 
			 Immediate custodial sentence 101 106 102 112 132 104 110 111 99 
			   
			  East of England region  
			 Found guilty 5,596 5,884 6,282 6,149 6,409 6,217 6,316 5,647 5,687 
			 Total sentenced 5,606 5,880 6,286 6,160 6,427 6,207 6,325 5,638 5,648 
			  Of which:  
			 Community rehabilitation order 679 827 891 958 861 650 359 17 8 
			 Community order n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 545 1,074 1,161 
			 Suspended sentence 7 6 10 10 12 8 122 291 318 
			 Immediate custodial sentence 927 1,059 1,254 1,309 1,442 1,387 1,318 1,090 1,062 
			 n/a = Not applicable. (1) Formerly a probation order. (2) Under the Criminal Justice Act 2003, various types of community order previously available for adults (community punishment order, community rehabilitation order, drug treatment and testing order) were replaced by a single generic community order with a range of possible requirements. Courts are able to choose different elements to make up a bespoke community order, which is relevant to that particular offender and the crime(s) they committed. (3) Fully suspended sentence prior to April 2005, suspended sentence order for offences committed from 4 April 2005. (4) Stealing from 'shops and stalls' (shoplifting) is an offence under Theft Act 1968, section 1. (5) These statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (6) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts, and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Office for Criminal Justice Reform: Evidence and Analysis Unit.

Young Offender Institutions: Injuries

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many actual or suspected fractures were incurred during use of force incidents at each young offender institution in  (a) 2005,  (b) 2006,  (c) 2007 and  (d) 2008;
	(2)  how many control and restraint incidents were recorded at each young offenders institution in  (a) 2005,  (b) 2006,  (c) 2007 and  (d) 2008.

Maria Eagle: The information requested is not available centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost by asking every young offender establishment to analyse all use of force records for these four years. Use of force is a last resort and is lawful only if its use is reasonable, proportionate and necessary. On 15 December 2008 the Government published their response to the Independent Review of Restraint in Juvenile Settings which followed the deaths of two young people in secure training centres. As part of this a new four stage system is being developed for restraint of young people in both youth offender institutions and secure training centres.

CABINET OFFICE

Building Britain's Future

Dai Davies: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment was made of the sustainability of the policies set out in Building Britain's Future.

Tessa Jowell: Building Britain's Future set out a range of commitments that will positively benefit sustainability, including ensuring investment in energy efficiency and the next generation of renewables, nuclear and clean coal technology to make Britain a global leader in low carbon industries; incentives for the take up of low carbon buses; developing a National Cycle Plan to promote cycling as a mainstream form of personal transport; and a commitment over the next two years to build 20,000 new energy efficient social and affordable homes.

Cancer: North East

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  how many deaths from breast cancer there have been in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside and  (c) the North East in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many deaths from cancer there have been in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside and  (c) the North East in each year since 1997.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated October 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions asking:
	1) How many deaths from breast cancer there have been in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside and (c) the North East in each year since 1997. (296139)
	2) How many deaths from cancer there have been in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside and (c) the North East in each year since 1997. (296140)
	The tables attached provide the numbers of deaths where (1) breast cancer and (2) cancer were the underlying cause of death in (a) Jarrow parliamentary constituency, (b) South Tyneside local authority and (c) North East government office region from 1997 to 2008 (the latest year available).
	
		
			  Table 1. Number of deaths where breast cancer was the underlying cause of death( 1) , Jarrow parliamentary constituency, South Tyneside local authority and North East government office region, 1997-2008( 2,3) 
			   Jarrow  South Tyneside  North East 
			 1997 15 42 610 
			 1998 17 39 571 
			 1999 20 32 545 
			 2000 19 31 518 
			 2001 16 34 557 
			 2002 21 34 515 
			 2003 14 29 477 
			 2004 13 26 524 
			 2005 13 25 553 
			 2006 22 36 532 
			 2007 12 23 475 
			 2008 29 46 545 
			 (1) Cause of death for breast cancer was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes 174-175 for the years 1997 to 2000, and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code C50 for the years 2001 to 2008. The introduction of ICD-10 in 2001 means that the numbers of deaths from this cause before 2001 is not completely comparable with later years. (2) Based on boundaries, and postcode allocations to boundaries, as of 2009. (4) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2. Number of deaths where cancer was the underlying cause of death( 1) , Jarrow parliamentary constituency, South Tyneside local authority and North East government office region, 1997-2008( 2,3) 
			   Jarrow  South Tyneside  North East 
			 1997 282 531 7,776 
			 1998 280 549 7,901 
			 1999 282 526 7,529 
			 2000 272 522 7,469 
			 2001 278 542 7,811 
			 2002 281 517 7,695 
			 2003 264 526 7,649 
			 2004 263 527 7,629 
			 2005 276 534 7,648 
			 2006 297 485 7,667 
			 2007 250 514 7,780 
			 2008 284 542 7,949 
			 (1) Cause of death for cancer was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes 140-208 for the years 1997 to 2000, and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes C00-C97 for the years 2001 to 2008. The introduction of ICD-10 in 2001 means that the numbers of deaths from this cause before 2001 are not completely comparable with later years. (2) Based on boundaries, and postcode allocations to boundaries, as of 2009. (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Census: Religion

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what account was taken of the process and results of the 2001 Census in deciding which religions to list on the 2011 Census; what criteria were used to determine the list; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated October 2009:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what account was taken of the process and results of the 2001 Census in deciding which religions to list on the 2011 Census; and what criteria were used to determine the list. (295047)
	The religion question was introduced in the 2001 Census as a voluntary question and has been designed to collect information on religious affiliation, which is required by many users of census statistics for monitoring equality and planning of services.
	Question development for the 2011 Census began in 2005 and since then the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has consulted and engaged with a large number of census users including those from central, regional and local government, academia, community groups and organisations to determine their requirements for topics and questions in the 2011 Census. In addition, a. detailed specific consultation was conducted in 2006/7 to refine the user requirements for information on ethnic group, national identity, religion and language questions for the 2011 Census. As a suite of questions they provide the opportunity for individual respondents to indicate their identity in the ways they consider most appropriate, and which ONS will be able to measure in the most statistically relevant way to meet the expressed needs of users. Consultation revealed a high demand for a religion question and the majority of responses indicated a requirement for comparability with the 2001 Census question.
	The tick-box categories used in the 2001 Census continue to represent the largest religious groups and have been repeated in all testing of the religion question. The 'none' tick-box has been renamed 'no religion' and been put first in the list to ensure that people who do not have a religious affiliation are aware that the question provides an appropriate response category. There is insufficient space on the questionnaire to include additional tick-boxes. However, Census outputs based on the write-in answers for those religions not specifically identified by tick boxes will be produced to meet user requirements. Consultation on the form and content of outputs from the 2011 Census is now underway.
	The Draft Census (England and Wales) Order setting out the information to be collected in the 2011 Census was laid before Parliament on 21 October. To coincide with the laying of the Census Order, additional material covering the recommendations for questions to be asked in the 2011 Census has been placed on the census website at:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/census/2011-census/20ll-census-questionnaire-content/question-and-content-recommendations-for-2011/index.html

Departmental Training

John Mason: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many external training courses were attended by staff of her Department in the last 12 months; and what the cost of attendance was of each such course.

Tessa Jowell: Cabinet Office is committed to life-long learning and personal development for all its employees. Individual management units decide on appropriate training to meet individual need and provide funding. Information on attendance and cost is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Government Departments: Power of Information Taskforce

Margaret Moran: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what changes in practice have been implemented by Government Departments following publication of the final report of the Power of Information Taskforce on 2 March 2009.

Tessa Jowell: The Government Response to the Power of Information Taskforce Report, published in May, accepted the recommendations of the report in principle. The Cabinet Office, Central Office of Information and the National Archives are leading on delivering these recommendations, including building the capabilities needed to deliver the themes of the Taskforce report across government.
	Many Government Departments are already adopting the principles set out in the Taskforce report, including the use of social media techniques to increase engagement and collaboration with citizens in the formation of policy and the delivery of services, an example of which is DEFRA's online consultation on the Food 2030 challenges
	http://sandbox.defra.gov.uk/food2030/.
	An online forum was created enabling the public to discuss their views on the issues facing the food system, providing a space to discuss the shape of the future food system. The public were invited to leave comments and questions which will be used to inform the forthcoming final version of Food 2030.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Norwich

Chloe Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many under 25 year olds in Norwich North constituency claimed jobseeker's allowance in  (a) 1997,  (b) 2007,  (c) 2008 and  (d) 2009.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated October 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many under 25 year olds in Norwich North constituency claimed jobseekers allowance in (a) 1997 (b) 2007 (c) 2008 and (d) 2009. (296343)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles the number of claimants of Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) from the Jobcentre Plus administrative system. Table 1 shows the number of persons under 25 years old, in the Norwich North constituency, who were claiming Jobseeker's Allowance in September 2009, the latest data available, and the same month in 2008, 2007 and 1997.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at http://www.nomisweb.co.uk.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of persons( 1)  under 25-years-old resident in Norwich North constituency claiming jobseeker's allowance 
			   Number( 2) 
			 September 1997 670 
			 September 2007 350 
			 September 2008 410 
			 September 2009 715 
			 (1 )Age data are only available for computerised claims, which account for 99.7 per cent. of all claims. (2 )Data rounded to nearest 5.  Source:  Jobcentre Plus administrative system

National Economic Council

Lorely Burt: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what costs the National Economic Council has incurred since October 2008.

Tessa Jowell: It is not possible to isolate costs incurred by the National Economic Council. Administration of the Council is one of a range of responsibilities falling to the Economic Policy Coordination Team within the Economic and Domestic Affairs Secretariat in the Cabinet Office.

National Economic Council

Lorely Burt: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many times the National Economic Council has met since October 2008.

Tessa Jowell: The National Economic Council has met regularly since its inception in October 2008. Information relating to internal meetings, discussion and advice and the proceedings of Cabinet and Cabinet Committees is generally not disclosed as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.
	Details of the membership and terms of reference of the Committee are available in the Libraries of both Houses and on the Cabinet Office website.

National Economic Council: Arrests

Lorely Burt: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment she has made of the performance of the National Economic Council in meeting its objectives to date; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: Since its inception in October 2008 the National Economic Council has led the Government's action to support households and businesses in response to the recession and to prepare for a sustainable recovery.

Teenage Pregnancy

Anne Milton: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many conceptions and what  (a) rate and  (b) percentage of conceptions there were for (i) under 18-year-olds and (ii) under 16-year-olds in each (A) strategic health authority area, (B) local authority area and (C) primary care trust area in each quarter from 1998.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many conceptions and what (a) rate and (b) percentage of conceptions there were for (i) under 18 year olds and (ii) under 16 year olds in each (A) strategic health authority area, (B) local authority area and (C) primary care trust area in each quarter from 1998. (295888)
	Figures on conceptions are estimates based on the number of live births, stillbirths or legal abortions. They do not include miscarriages and illegal abortions.
	Table 1 provides numbers of conceptions to women aged (i) under 18 by (B) local authority district, for each quarter from 1998 to 2007 (the most recent year for which figures are available). Quarterly figures on conceptions to women aged under 16 are not published in order to protect the privacy of individuals. Rates and percentages by local authority district for each quarter could not be provided without disproportionate cost.
	Table 2 provides (a) numbers, (b) percentages and (c) rates for conceptions to women aged (i) under 18 and (ii) under 16 for (A) Strategic Health Authorities for each year from 1998 to 2007.
	Table 3a provides (a) numbers and (b) percentages for conceptions to women aged (i) under 18 for (B) local authority districts for each year from 1998 to 2007. Table 3b provides (a) numbers for conceptions to women aged (ii) under 16 for (B) local authority districts in three-year aggregated groups from 1998 to 2006 (the most recent year for which figures are available). Figures on conceptions to women aged under 16 are not published for local authority districts in order to protect the privacy of individuals. To protect the privacy of individuals, some cells in the tables have been suppressed or geographies collapsed in accordance with ONS guidelines on confidentiality. Details are given on the relevant tables. Further figures could not be provided without disproportionate cost.
	Table 4 provides numbers of conceptions to women aged (i) under 18 by (C) primary care organisation for 2007, the only year for which figures are available. Further figures by primary care organisation could not be provided without disproportionate cost.
	A copy of the tables has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

Teenage Pregnancy

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many pregnancies there were where either the mother or the father was aged  (a) 13 and under,  (b) 14 or 15 and  (c) between 16 and 18 years in each of the last five years.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated October 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many pregnancies there were where either the mother or the father was aged (a) 13 and under, (b) 14 or 15 and (c) between 16 and 18 years in each of the last five years. (296491)
	Figures on conceptions are estimates based on the number of live births, stillbirths or legal abortions. They do not include miscarriages and illegal abortions.
	The table below provides the number of conceptions to women aged (a) under 14, (b) 14 or 15 and (c) 16 to 18 years for England and Wales for 2003 to 2007 (the most recent year for which figures are available).
	Figures on conceptions by father's age are not available.
	
		
			  Conceptions( 1 ) to women aged (a) under 14 years( 2)  , (b) 14( 2)  or 15( 2)  years and (c) 16 to 18( 2)  years, 2003-2007: England and Wales( 3) Numbers 
			   Age of women at conception 
			   (a) Under 14 years  (b) 14 or 15 years  (c) 16 to 18 years 
			 2003 334 7,690 60,748 
			 2004 337 7,278 61.956 
			 2005 327 7,603 62,439 
			 2006 295 7,531 62,436 
			 2007 369 7,831 63,748 
			 (1) Figures on conceptions are estimates based on the number of live births, stillbirths or legal abortions. They do not include miscarriages and illegal abortions. (2) Age at estimated date of conception. (3) Women usually resident in England and Wales.

Unemployment: Newport Gwent

Jessica Morden: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people aged between 16 and 24 years had been unemployed in Newport East constituency for over  (a) six and  (b) 12 months on the latest date for which figures are available.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated October 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people aged between 16 and 24 years were unemployed in Newport East constituency for over (a) six and (b) 12 months on the latest date for which figures are available. (295932)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles unemployment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey and its predecessor the annual Labour Force Survey (LFS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions.
	However, estimates of unemployment for the requested age band and geography are not available. As an alternative, we have provided the number of persons, aged between 16 and 24, claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) in September 2009 for over (a) six months and (b) 12 months, from the Jobcentre Plus administrative system.
	In September 2009 the number of persons aged between 16 and 24 claiming JSA resident in the Newport East constituency for (a) over six months was 185 and (b) over 12 months was 10.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at http://www.nomisweb.co.uk.

Vetting: Scotland

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many Government employees in England and Wales were subject to basic disclosure checks undertaken by Disclosure Scotland in each year since 2002.

Tessa Jowell: Since October 2008 all new Government employees are required to satisfy recruitment controls that include a check of unspent criminal record. It is the responsibility of each individual public sector organisation to ensure these checks take place. The total number of new HMG employees and basic disclosure checks carried out is not collated or held centrally.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan: Overseas Aid

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding his Department has given to Sangin district, Helmand province in each of the last five years.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) works as part of the cross-HMG and multi-national Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Helmand. Sangin benefits from a range of funding sources, both direct and indirect, and through national and regional programmes, so it is not possible to specify the exact amount spent in the district.
	DFID has contributed indirectly to Sangin by providing the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) with over £26.5 million since 2003. Two community-selected projects in Sangin worth almost £650,000 are currently nearing completion under MRRD oversight. Sangin has also benefited from the Helmand wheat seed programme. Last year, DFID and the cross-Government Stabilisation Aid Fund (SAF) each contributed £2 million to distribute wheat to 32,000 farmers across Helmand, including 2,000 in Sangin. This year, DFID and the SAF will each contribute £5 million to reach almost 40,000 farmers, including 2,200 in Sangin. SAF funding for stabilisation activities in Sangin last year totalled £1.3 million.

Burma: Overseas Aid

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has provided to emergency relief initiatives to support those affected by the famine in Chin State, Burma, in 2009; and whether he plans to increase that level of assistance in 2010.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) has committed a total of £880,000 for humanitarian assistance in response to severe food shortages in Chin State. Of this commitment, £600,000 was disbursed towards the end of 2008 and £155,000 has been disbursed so far during 2009. We expect to disburse the remaining £125,000 shortly.
	We are keeping the humanitarian situation in Chin State under close review and are considering, in consultation with the United Nations and other donors, how best to address longer-term food security needs in Chin State and other parts of Burma.

Burma: Overseas Aid

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if his Department will provide assistance to cross-border humanitarian aid initiatives across the India-Burma border, for the purpose of supplying aid to remote parts of Chin State which cannot be reached through in-country initiatives.

Michael Foster: The Department of International Development (DFID) has no plans to provide funding for cross-border aid from India to Burma.
	DFID has committed £880,000 for humanitarian assistance in response to the severe food shortages experienced in Chin State. This assistance is being delivered through the United Nations Development Programme, the World Food Programme and their local partners, which have access to all parts of Chin State from within Burma.

Burma: Overseas Aid

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has provided in cross-border humanitarian assistance to eastern Burma in 2009; and whether he plans to increase that level of assistance in 2010.

Michael Foster: Approximately £360,000 of funding from the Department for International Development (DFID) is being used by non-governmental organisations to provide cross-border humanitarian assistance from Thailand to eastern Burma in 2009. We anticipate that this figure will increase in 2010.
	DFID is also providing approximately £500,000 in 2009 for cross-border aid from China to Shan and Kachin States in north-eastern Burma. Proposals to increase this funding in 2010 are under consideration.

Christmas

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many Christmas functions arranged by his Department  (a) he and  (b) officials of his Department (i) hosted and (ii) attended in 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: I did not attend or host any Christmas functions in my role as Development Secretary arranged by the Department for International Development.
	Records for officials hosting or attending Christmas functions are not held centrally and could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.
	All expenditure incurred is made in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

Indonesia: Earthquakes

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his assessment is of the effectiveness of the operations of the UK search and rescue teams in Pedang, Indonesia following the earthquake there; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) sent a search and rescue team to Pedang in response to a request from the Government of Indonesia for international search and rescue help. The team were able to undertake several vital tasks, using their skills and equipment to help guide the overall search and rescue effort, investigate otherwise unsurveyed areas outside Pedang city and advise on problems such as the safety of damaged buildings and recovery of victims. Further information on how the UK is responding to the earthquake is available on the DFID website:
	www.dfid.gov.uk

Overseas Aid: Rescue Services

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what search and rescue missions to non-EU countries were undertaken by the Urban Rescue Team with UK registered search and rescue dogs in each of the last five years.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) has been involved with two missions that have used UK registered search and rescue dogs. These were following the earthquakes in Pakistan in 2005 and in Indonesia this October. DFID does not have a record of all occasions that UK registered search and rescue dogs have been deployed.

Somalia: Overseas Aid

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding his Department has contributed to Somalia in the last 12 months; and on what has it been spent.

Gareth Thomas: Information on the Department for International Development's (DFID) aid to all developing countries in 2008-09 was published in Statistics on International Development, which is available online:
	www.dfid.gov.uk.
	In 2008-09 (the latest period for which confirmed spending figures are available) total DFID bilateral aid to Somalia was £33 million.
	The programme aims to promote peace and better governance across Somalia, meet humanitarian needs, and improve basic services; particularly health and education.
	DFID aid to Somalia is delivered through United Nations agencies and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs), working with local implementation partners.

St. Helena: Airports

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he plans to publish the results of his Department's recent consultation on future access to St. Helena.

Michael Foster: The Consultation Report is available on the Department for International Development's website at:
	www.dfid.gov.uk

Sudan

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effect of the expulsion of aid agencies in South Kordofan and eastern Sudan following the International Criminal Court's indictment of President Bashir in March 2009; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The Government of Sudan's decision to expel 13 international and close down three national NGOs in March this year has had a detrimental effect on the delivery of assistance to the people of South Kordofan and eastern Sudan. Health facilities, water and sanitation projects and livelihood programmes run by these organisations have either lost support or have been discontinued.
	As with Darfur, the ability to respond to future emergencies-such as floods or conflict-is now much lower in these areas. The effects of the expulsions are most acutely felt in the delivery of recovery and basic services programmes. Since March, several NGOs have been trying to expand or establish new programmes to cover these gaps. In particular, Mercy Corps Scotland, Care Switzerland, and Save the Children-Sweden plan to scale up programmes in South Kordofan. However, the Sudan Government has been slow to grant the necessary permits and it is unlikely that new programmes will be fully operational for some months.

TREASURY

Child Care Vouchers

Jessica Morden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many employees have taken part in an employer childcare voucher scheme in each year since the introduction of exemptions from tax and national insurance contributions on such vouchers.

Stephen Timms: Published research, commissioned by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in 2006, by the National Centre for Social Research estimated that there were 174,000 users of child care vouchers available under Employer Supported Childcare (ESC) in late 2005. The research report is available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/research/report23-final.pdf.
	Information for other years is not available, as HMRC does not collect administrative data on the use of ESC.

Council Tax

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Peterborough (Mr. Jackson) of 7 July 2009,  Official Report, column 775W, on council tax, if he will take steps to ensure the Valuation Office Agency's council tax banding support tool is used to identify and correct errors in the council tax banding list.

Ian Pearson: The council tax banding support tool is not a suitable tool for such a use. It is accessed through cases on individual properties and provides information about comparable bandings and settlements. It does not make decisions but provides information to valuers to help them make decisions. Raising cases and generating this information for over 22.7 million properties (in England) would be impractical and very resource intensive.

Economic and Monetary Union: Local Government

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 9 July 2009,  Official Report, column 966W, on the Euro Preparations Advisory Group, if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of the meeting from September 2006; and which local authorities were represented at that meeting.

Ian Pearson: The minute of the local authority euro preparations meeting of September 2006 has been deposited in the Library of the House. We do not hold the attendee list for this meeting.

Housing: Construction

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what fiscal measures his Department has implemented to encourage the construction of new homes in each year since 2001.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Government have recently taken a number of steps to support house building and construction in the context of the global economic downturn. In September 2008 as part of a £1 billion package of targeted support for home owners, home buyers and the house building sector, the Government announced that stamp duty land tax would not apply to purchases of residential property of £175,000 or less for 12 months from 3 September 2008. Budget 2009 announced an extension until 31 December 2009. Around 160,000 transactions have benefited from this fiscal measure.
	Previously, Budget 2007 announced details of a stamp duty land tax exemption for new zero-carbon homes which supports the Government's wider housing and environmental objectives. As part of Budget 2008 the Government extended the exemption to new flats, retrospectively from 1 October 2007.

Public Expenditure

Rob Marris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the Government's per capita spending was in  (a) England,  (b) Scotland,  (c) Wales and  (d) Northern Ireland in (i) 2004-05, (ii) 2005-06, (iii) 2006-07, (iv) 2007-08 and (v) 2008-09.

Liam Byrne: The figures on total identifiable expenditure per head by country for 2004-05 to 2008-09 can be found in table 9.2 of Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (PESA) 2009 (Cm 7630).

Revenue and Customs: Repayment

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions HM Revenue and Customs and its predecessor made a discretionary payment to a member of the public as an acknowledgement of error or mismanagement in each year since 1997; and what the monetary value of such repayments was in each such year.

Stephen Timms: The table provides the available information on discretionary payments made by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) as a result of error or mismanagement. Corresponding data for Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise for the nine years prior to the formation of HMRC is not available.
	
		
			   Discretionary payments 
			   Number  Value (£ million) 
			 2005-06 n/a 3.27 
			 2006-07 n/a 2.46 
			 2007-08 n/a 2.65 
			 2008-09 21,221 2.69 
		
	
	Information on the number of payments made prior to 2008-09 is not available due to the use of a different classification schemes before this year.

Thalidomide Trust: Taxation

Rob Marris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether extraordinary factors have been taken into account in determining the taxation status of the Thalidomide Trust in the last 30 years; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: When the Thalidomide Trust was set up in 1974, it was subject to the same rules that govern payments from all discretionary trusts. Under those rules, payments from Trust income counted towards the victims' taxable income and also reduced their level of entitlement to tax credits.
	In 2004, following consultation with the then Inland Revenue, the trust agreed to change the way it makes payments to victims so that they could be classified as periodical payments and potentially fall within the scope of legislation governing structured settlements. The Treasury were then able to make use of a power bringing those periodical payments by the trustees to Thalidomide victims within the scope of a relief aimed at structured damages settlements arrived at by agreement between the parties or by order of a court.
	The new legislation took effect from 5 August 2004, after which payments from the trust to victims have not counted as income for the purposes of calculating the victims' income tax liabilities or their entitlement to tax credits.

HEALTH

Abortion

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the number of repeat abortions undertaken in relation to  (a) married and  (b) unmarried women aged (i) under 16, (ii) under 18, (iii) 18 or 19, (iv) between 20 and 29, (v) between 30 and 34 and (vi) 35 years and over in each primary care trust area in the latest period for which figures are available.

Gillian Merron: The information is shown in a table, which has been placed in the Library.

Cancer: Diagnosis

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr. Lansley), of 12 October 2009,  Official Report, columns 802-3W, on cancer: diagnosis, whether his Department has plans for any hospital  (a) building,  (b) rebuilding and  (c) renovation after the winding down of the existing major programme for renovating and rebuilding NHS hospitals.

Mike O'Brien: There are five large scale hospital building schemes (capital value over £100 million) currently going through the business case approvals process.
	This Government's commitment to opening 100 new hospital schemes by 2010 has already been achieved. This has addressed the most serious and urgent deficiencies in the age and quality of the hospital estate. Fewer major hospital schemes are coming forward as a result and also because the type of facility required is changing as the national health service moves more services into primary care and community settings and provides more diagnostic and other specialist facilities such as elective care centres.

Contraceptives

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the estimated expenditure on community contraceptive services for women  (a) aged under 20 years and  (b) aged 20 years and over was in (i) England and (ii) each primary care trust area in the latest period for which figures are available.

Gillian Merron: This information is not held centrally.

Contraceptives

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women in each primary care trust area began using each type of primary method of contraception following their first visit to a community contraceptive services facility in each year since 1997-98.

Gillian Merron: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in table 15 of statistical bulletin NHS Contraceptive Services, England 2008-09. Tables 5A to 5J of this document also contain data by strategic health authority. The document has been placed in the Library.

Departmental Domestic Visits

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many times each Minister within his Department has visited  (a) an accident and emergency department,  (b) an independent sector treatment centre,  (c) a GP surgery,  (d) an NHS dentist,  (e) an urgent care centre,  (f) a GP-led health centre and  (g) a NHS hospital trust facility in an official capacity in the last 12 months.

Phil Hope: As part of their official duties, departmental Ministers visit a variety of accident and emergency departments, independent sector treatment centres, general practitioner (GP) surgeries, national health service dentists, urgent care centres, GP-led health centres and NHS hospital trust facilities. The following visits occurred during the period 15 October 2008 to 14 October 2009.
	Visits by each Minister during the last 12 months were:
	
		
			  Alan Johnson 
			  Type of organisation  Number of visits 15 October 2008 - 5 June 2009 
			 Independent sector treatment centre 0 
			 GP surgery 3 
			 NHS Dentist 0 
			 Urgent care centre 0 
			 GP-led health centre 6 
			 NHS hospital trust facility 16 
		
	
	
		
			  Andy Burnham 
			  Type of organisation  Number of visits 8 June 2009 - 14 October 2009 
			 Independent sector treatment centre 0 
			 GP surgery 1 
			 NHS Dentist 0 
			 Urgent care centre 0 
			 GP-led health centre 0 
			 NHS hospital trust facility 4 
		
	
	
		
			  Lord Darzi 
			  Type of organisation  Number of visits 15 October 2008 - 21 July 2009 
			 Independent sector treatment centre 0 
			 GP surgery 1 
			 NHS Dentist 1 
			 Urgent care centre 1 
			 GP-led health centre 4 
			 NHS hospital trust facility 14 
		
	
	
		
			  Ben Bradshaw 
			  Type of organisation  Number of visits 15 October 2008 - 5 June 2009 
			 Independent sector treatment centre 1 
			 GP surgery 1 
			 NHS Dentist 1 
			 Urgent care centre 0 
			 GP-led health centre 3 
			 NHS hospital trust facility 4 
		
	
	
		
			  Mike O'Brien 
			  Type of organisation  Number of visits 8 June 2009 - 14 October 2009 
			 Independent sector treatment centre 0 
			 GP surgery 1 
			 NHS Dentist 0 
			 Urgent care centre 0 
			 GP-led health centre 2 
			 NHS hospital trust facility 5 
		
	
	
		
			  Ann Keen 
			  Type of organisation  Number of visits 15 October 2008 - 14 October 2009 
			 Independent sector treatment centre 2 
			 GP surgery 0 
			 NHS Dentist 0 
			 Urgent care centre 0 
			 GP-led health centre 0 
			 NHS hospital trust facility 12 
		
	
	
		
			  Dawn Primarolo 
			  Type of organisation  Number of visits 15 October 2008 - 5 June 2009 
			 Independent sector treatment centre 0 
			 GP surgery 0 
			 NHS Dentist 0 
			 Urgent care centre 0 
			 GP-led health centre 0 
			 NHS hospital trust facility 1 
		
	
	
		
			  Gillian Merron 
			  Type of organisation  Number of visits 8 June 2009 - 14 October 2009 
			 Independent sector treatment centre 0 
			 GP surgery 0 
			 NHS Dentist 0 
			 Urgent care centre 0 
			 GP-led health centre 0 
			 NHS hospital trust facility 1 
		
	
	
		
			  Phil Hope 
			  Type of organisation  Number of visits 15 October 2008 - 14 October 2009 
			 Independent sector treatment centre 0 
			 GP surgery 0 
			 NHS Dentist 0 
			 Urgent care centre 0 
			 GP-led health centre 1 
			 NHS hospital trust facility 10

Eyesight: Testing

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in  (a) Derbyshire and  (b) North East Derbyshire constituency have received free eye tests since 1999.

Ann Keen: This information is not available in the format requested.
	The number of national health service sight tests is available in Table B1 of Annex C of the General Ophthalmic Services for England and Wales: Year Ending 31 March 2009 report. However, these are the number of NHS sight tests and are not a count of individuals.
	Information is provided by primary care trust (PCT) and by strategic health authority (SHA) but is not available by parliamentary constituency. Information at national and SHA level is available annually from 1996-97 to 2008-09. Information at PCT level is only available from 2003-04 onwards.
	This report, published on 19 August 2009, has been placed in the Library and is also available on the website of the Information Centre for health and social care at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/gosactivity0809p2.

General Practitioners: Birmingham

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioner surgeries in south Birmingham have offered extended opening hours in each quarter since April 2008.

Mike O'Brien: Information on the number of general practitioner (GP) surgeries, located in the area covered by South Birmingham primary care trust (PCT), offering extended opening hours between April 2008 and July 2009 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  GP surgeries located in the area covered by South Birmingham PCT, offering extended opening hours 
			   Number 
			  2008  
			 April 6 
			 May 24 
			 June 29 
			 July 39 
			 August 39 
			 September 39 
			 October 39 
			 November 43 
			 December 43 
			   
			  2009  
			 January 43 
			 February 44 
			 March 44 
			 April 44 
			 May 46 
			 June 48 
			 July 51 
		
	
	This information is also available on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Statistics/Performancedataandstatistics/PrimaryCare/DH_089459
	Data since July 2009 are no longer centrally collected and can instead be obtained direct from the PCT.

Health Services: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have received treatment at York NHS walk-in centre in each year of its operation.

Mike O'Brien: The information requested in provided in the following table:
	
		
			  First attendances at North Yorkshire and York and Selby and York Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) walk in centre 
			  Organisation name  Year  Quarters  Number of first attendances at walk-in centres  Number of follow-up attendances at walk-in centres  Total attendances at walk-in centres 
			 North Yorkshire and York PCT 2009-10 1 5,012 268 5,280 
			 North Yorkshire and York PCT 2008-09 1-4 19,781 1,063 20,844 
			 North Yorkshire and York PCT 2007-08 1-4 21,861 1,066 22,927 
			 North Yorkshire and York PCT 2006-07 3-4 11,322 421 11,743 
			 Selby and York PCT 2006-07 1-2 11,663 932 12,595 
			 Total 2006-07 1-4 22,985 1,353 24,338 
			   
			 Selby and York PCT 2005-06 1-4 17,994 10,064 28,058 
			 Selby and York PCT 2004-05 1-4 18,810 17,384 36,194 
			 Selby and York PCT 2003-04 1-4 23,074 16,147 39,221 
			  Note: Selby and York PCT merged to form North Yorkshire and York PCT in October 2006.  Source: Department of Health dataset QMAE

HIV Infection

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to encourage general practitioner surgeries in areas with high levels of HIV/AIDS to include an HIV test in their registration health checks; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: As part of the work the Department is undertaking to reduce the level of undiagnosed HIV in the population, and to make HIV testing outside specialist centres more routine, we are funding eight pilot projects (four in London) in a variety of settings to examine the feasibility and acceptability of HIV testing. The settings chosen include general practitioner surgeries, and we will be undertaking an evaluation of the pilots to determine their wider implementation.
	This work follows publication of the UK National Guidelines for HIV Testing (2008) by the British HIV Association, British Association of Sexual Health and HIV and the British Infection Society. The work is also supported by the documents, HIV in Primary Care (2005), and HIV for non-HIV specialists, (2008), both published by the Medical Foundation for AIDS and Sexual Health. Additionally, in September 2007, the chief medical officer and chief nursing officer wrote to all doctors and nurses, highlighting best practice about offering HIV testing, where appropriate, in all healthcare settings.
	The chief medical officer sent a further letter to Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties of Medicine in September 2009, encouraging them to take further action to diagnose HIV outside specialist settings.

Hospital beds: Elderly

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people aged 75 years and over who had at least one emergency readmission to hospital in  (a) 1997,  (b) 2003 and  (c) 2007 in (i) Vale of York constituency, (ii) North Yorkshire and (iii) England.

Mike O'Brien: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available from the National Centre for Health Outcomes Development (NCHOD) has been placed in the Library.
	Further analyses from this source could be produced only at disproportionate cost.

Hospitals: Parking

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr. Lansley) of 14 October 2009,  Official Report, column 901W, on hospitals: parking, which back-office costs will be reduced; what benefits to outpatients will result from the improved concession guidance; and how such benefits will be funded;
	(2)  what calculations underlie his estimate of the cost per annum of phasing out car parking for in-patients and their visitors at hospitals; and what his estimate is of the annual cost of each element of the scheme;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the proportion of his proposals which can be afforded  (a) in 2009-10 and  (b) in 2010-11.

Mike O'Brien: National health service organisations provide car parking to patients and visitors based on their local plans, needs and circumstances. Therefore, the details of implementing free car parking for in-patients will vary between different NHS organisations including the proportion that can be afforded in each year and which back-office costs will be reduced. However, all NHS organisations are expected to have fully implemented the change within three years. The improved concession guidance will benefit out-patients by stressing the importance of tangible concessions for regular users, particularly out-patients, and by ensuring that all eligible patients are made fully aware of them.
	The estimate of annual cost per annum for phasing out in-patient car parking of £141 million was based on two figures. The direct cost of in-patient parking was based on the number of bed days recorded for elective, emergency and maternity care with each of the bed days resulting in two hours parking at the national average cost of visitor car parking per hour of £1.00 giving a total of £93 million. In addition, the impact of the NHS paying for private finance initiative and other commercial agreements was estimated at an additional £48 million.

Hypergonadism

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what guidance the NHS issues to clinicians treating men with hypergonadism;
	(2)  whether the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence plans to produce guidance on the treatment of hypergonadism.

Mike O'Brien: We are not aware of any national guidance issued by the national health service on the treatment of hypergonadism. There are no plans for the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to produce guidance on this subject.

NHS: Information and Communications Technology

Richard Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what his latest estimate is of the number of users of the Lorenzo software system at  (a) Five Boroughs Partnership NHS Trust,  (b) Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust,  (c) University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust,  (d) Hereford Hospitals Trust and  (e) South Birmingham Primary Care Trust;
	(2)  what his latest estimate is of the highest number of live concurrent users of the Lorenzo software system across English NHS trusts  (a) at any one time and  (b) on any one day.

Mike O'Brien: The numbers of regular users of Release 1 of the Lorenzo software system in the national health service bodies concerned are as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Five Boroughs Partnership NHS Trust 43 
			 Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 12 
			 University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust 96 
			 Hereford Hospitals NHS Trust 7 
			 South Birmingham Primary Care Trust 16 
		
	
	These figures exclude other registered users who use the system only occasionally.
	The highest number of live concurrent users across English NHS trusts at any one time, to date, is 19. This occurred on 6 October 2009. The number of concurrent users of the system is lower than the aggregate number of regular users because clinicians spend the majority of their time working directly with patients. Time spent using the system is relatively short, and in most care settings, users will log in and log out of the system repeatedly throughout the day.

Nutrition: Mothers

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment his Department has made of the nutritional value of food served in NHS hospitals to post-natal mothers who are breastfeeding.

Ann Keen: An appropriate diet, based on acceptable standards, requires good food with the right nutritional content, properly prepared and available when patients need it. The NHS Plan stipulated that dieticians should advise and check on nutritional values in hospital food and this role is undertaken locally by staff in national health service trusts. The assessment of the nutritional requirements of post-natal mothers who are breast feeding is a matter for local determination and the Department does not collect any data centrally.
	Staff carrying out the assessments are assisted by availability of nutritional information within the 'National Dish Selector'-a resource compiled as part of the Better Hospital Food programme. Although this programme has now closed, its outputs are still available via the Hospital Caterers' Association website:
	www.hospitalcaterers.org/.
	The National Dish Selector is a database of recipes that can be searched by both recipe and ingredient. It is designed to be used by catering services as a resource from which to develop local menus with nutritional content appropriate to patients' needs.

Palliative Care: Finance

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which primary care trusts have received a portion of the £286 million assigned by the Government for end-of-life care in the End of Life Care Strategy; and how much each has received.

Phil Hope: An additional £286 million revenue and capital funding is being made available over 2009-10 and 2010-11 to support the implementation of the End of Life Care Strategy. For 2010-11, this includes capital funding of £40 million for hospices. However, the majority of the funding is being allocated to primary care trusts (PCTs) through the 2009-10 and 2010-11 revenue allocations, so all PCTs will receive a portion of this funding.
	The Department does not break down PCT allocations by policies at either national or local level. It is for PCTs to decide their priorities for investment locally, taking into account both local priorities and the NHS Operating Framework.

Pharmacy

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 21 July 2009,  Official Report, column 1614W, whether he plans to discuss a replacement of the prescription item threshold with a scale of remuneration for pharmacists with interested groups and representative bodies.

Mike O'Brien: There is currently no plan for such a discussion.

Pharmacy: Exports

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect of the practice of parallel exporting on the availability of pharmaceuticals to NHS patients.

Mike O'Brien: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 12 October 2009,  Official Report, column 735W.

Pharmacy: Licensing

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he last reviewed licensing arrangements for pharmaceutical wholesalers; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), an Executive agency of the Department, regulates manufacturers and wholesale dealers of medicinal products for human use in the United Kingdom on behalf of the UK.
	The MHRA completed its last review of the licensing arrangements for pharmaceutical manufacturers and wholesale distributors of medicines for human use in October 2005.
	A further review of the supply chain for medicines in the UK is currently being conducted.

Sedation

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what guidelines the NHS issues on the use of continuous deep sedation until death;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the rate of prevalence of continuous deep sedation until death in England; what information he holds for benchmarking purposes on the rates in other EU member states; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: No central guidance on the use of sufficient medication to keep a patient sedated until their death, known as continuous deep sedation, has been issued. This is a matter for the relevant clinicians, using their professional judgment and taking into account the circumstances and wishes of the individual patient or, where a patient is considered incapable of decision-making, the views of the patient's family on what he or she would wish. Data on the prevalence of continuous deep sedation in England, or in other European Union member states, are not held centrally.

Social Services: Birmingham

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many elderly people in  (a) Birmingham, Northfield constituency and  (b) Birmingham pay for social care services at home.

Phil Hope: This information is not collected centrally.
	However, where Birmingham city council has arranged home care for people it should be able to say how many of them it charges.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Academies: Sponsorship

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many academy funding agreements entered into since 2007 have local authorities, schools, further education colleges or a partnership of such bodies acting as a sponsor or co-sponsor.

Vernon Coaker: The total number of local authorities, schools, further education colleges or a partnership of such bodies acting as a sponsor or co-sponsor which have entered into a funding agreement since 2007 is 74.

Adoption

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate his Department has made of the number of adopted children under the age of 18 in each local authority area.

Dawn Primarolo: Information on looked-after children can be found in our publication Children looked after in England (including adoption and care leavers) year ending 31 March 2008, which is available on the Department's website at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000810/index.shtml
	Table LAE1, which is located within the third set of additional excel tables, gives a breakdown, by local authority, of the number of looked-after children who were adopted during the years ending 31 March 2004 to 2008. Information for the year ending 31 March 2009 will be published in December.
	Our publication covers only looked-after children who were adopted. Information for all children that were adopted in England and Wales is published by the Office for National Statistics and is available from their website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product. asp?vlnk=15049

BECTA: Finance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding his Department plans to provide to BECTA in each year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Diana Johnson: I can confirm, in the following table, the details of the funding plans for the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (Becta)/(Technologies Future Unit). The data are drawn from our Departmental Annual Report 2009, Table 8.4 on page 175.
	
		
			   Departmental allocation (£ million) 
			 2009-10 Plans 51 
			 2010-11 Plans 20

Children: Day Care

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the number of committees registered with Ofsted for the provision of daycare and early years foundation stage on non-domestic premises which are composed mainly or exclusively of parents.

Dawn Primarolo: This is a matter for Ofsted. The Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, will write to the hon. Member and copies of her reply will be placed in the Libraries.
	 Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 23 October 2009:
	Your recent parliamentary questions have been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for a response.
	Although Ofsted does hold data about childcare on non-domestic premises run by a committee, these records do not state whether a committee is mainly or exclusively run by parents. It is, therefore, not possible to provide the requested information.
	A copy of this reply has been sent to the Rt Hon Dawn Primarolo MP, Minister of State for Children, Young People and Families, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.

Children: Human Trafficking

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent discussions he has had with local authorities on their provision of support for vulnerable children suspected of having been trafficked under  (a) section 20 and  (b) section 17 of the Children Act 1989; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 14 September 2009
	My noble Friend, Baroness Morgan of Drefelin, met officials from the London borough of Hillingdon in March this year to discuss work they are undertaking on child trafficking at Heathrow airport in partnership with the Metropolitan police. She is also a member of the Inter Ministerial Group on Human Trafficking, which meets regularly to discuss such issues. It is for each local authority to shape the services they provide to meet the needs of their local population. Where a local authority identifies a child who requires support, including those that have been trafficked, they are then responsible for identifying appropriate services to meet their needs, including being kept safe from any likely significant harm.

Children: Protection

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether  (a) school governors and  (b) members of management committees at early years childcare providers are subject to the requirement to register with (i) the Independent Safeguarding Authority and (ii) the vetting and barring scheme.

Dawn Primarolo: Both school governors and members of management committees at early year's child care providers are covered by the vetting and barring scheme and will have to register with the Independent Safeguarding Authority when the requirements for registration are brought into force.

Children's Centres: Derbyshire

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) Sure Start and  (b) Children's Centres have been opened in (i) Derbyshire and (ii) North East Derbyshire constituency since 1997.

Dawn Primarolo: Derbyshire local authority has 46 Sure Start Children's Centres of which 11 are recorded as former Sure Start Local Programmes. Of these 46 children's centres, five are in the North East Derbyshire constituency, of which one is recorded as a former Sure Start Local Programme.
	We are on track to achieve our target of at least 3,500 Sure Start Children's Centres by March 2010, offering access to services for all children under five and their families. As of 31 August 2009 there were 3,059 centres operational in England, providing access to services for over 2.4 million children and their families.

Children's Centres: Derbyshire

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department has spent on Sure Start Children's Centres in  (a) Derbyshire and  (b) North East Derbyshire constituency since the programme's inception.

Dawn Primarolo: Funding for Sure Start Children's Centres in Derbyshire and North East Derbyshire is provided to Derbyshire local authority as part of the Sure Start Early Years and Childcare Grant (SSEYCG). The local authority is responsible for managing Sure Start Children's Centres performance across its area and will decide how much to allocate to centres in each area.
	The following table shows the spend on Children's Centres and Sure Start Local Programmes (SSLPs) by Derbyshire local authority since the start of the programme. The Department will not receive audited figures for 2008-09 until the end of October 2009.
	
		
			  £ 
			   Children's centres revenue  Children's centres capital  SSLP revenue 
			 2003-04 0 0 3,028,718 
			 2004-05 100,580 4,901 3,483,649 
			 2005-06 (1)n/a 2,670,630 3,564,598 
			 2006-07 (1)n/a 1,064,208 (1)n/a 
			 2007-08 (1)n/a 2,662,713 (1)n/a 
			 (1) In 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 Derbyshire local authority chose to pool its revenue funding in a Local Area Agreement (LAA) which was paid by the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG, formerly the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, ODPM) as part of the LAA grant revenue. This funding was not ring fenced to SureStart activities; Derbyshire local authority had the freedom to spend the funding pooled in its Local Area Agreement in line with local priorities. The authority was not required to report details of its spend of Sure Start revenue to the Department. 
		
	
	Derbyshire local authority will hold full records of its Children's Centres and SSLP spend.
	SSLPs were given multi year capital allocations from programme inception to the end of 2005-06. Therefore it is not possible to disaggregate allocations by financial year. Derbyshire received a capital allocation of £4,872,260 and spent £4,686,552 for the life of the programme.
	From 2004-05 revenue funding for Children's centres was included within the wider SSEYCG Main Revenue block. Children's Centres capital funding was ring fenced in 2004-6 but from 2006-07 was included in the wider SSEYCG Main Capital block. Funding in these blocks is not ring fenced and the authority had the freedom to decide how much to spend on each area supported by the grant, in line with local priorities. these allocations are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  £ 
			   2003-04  2004-06( 1)  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			 Children's centres capital 0 3,193,965 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Main capital (from 2006-07) n/a n/a 3,893,683 2,953,740 8,022,534 4,728,377 
			 Main revenue (from 2004-05) n/a 9,066,052 7,441,069 8,674,060 12,359,727 14,015,139 
			 SSLP revenue 3,047,059 7,073,123 3,565,646 2,953,740 2,818,688 2,389,285 
			 (1) In 2004-06 local authorities received a two year allocation for the Sure Start Grant. Therefore it has not been possible to disaggregate the allocations for 2004-05 and 2005-06.

Christmas

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many Christmas functions arranged by his Department  (a) he and  (b) officials of his Department (i) hosted and (ii) attended in 2008; what the cost to the public purse was; and if he will make a statement.

Diana Johnson: The Secretary of State for the Department for Children, Schools and families (DCSF) hosted two Christmas functions in 2008. The cost of these events was approximately £2,136. This information was also published on 13 October 2009,  Official Report, column 15WS.
	Information on events hosted or attended by DCSF officials is not readily available and gathering this information would be at a disproportionate cost.
	All spending on official entertainment is made in accordance with the principles set out in Managing public Money.

Class Sizes

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the average size of  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school classes was in (i) 1997, (ii) 2002, (iii) 2005 and (iv) the last year for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: The requested information is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Maintained primary( 1)  and state-funded secondary( 1, 2)  schools: average class size( 3) , as at January each year, in England 
			   Primary  State-funded secondary 
			 1997 27.5 21.6 
			 2002 26.3 21.9 
			 2005 26.2 21.6 
			 2009 26.2 20.6 
			 (1 )Includes middle schools as deemed. (2 )Includes CTCs and academies. (3 )One teacher classes as taught during a single selected period in each school on the day of the census in January.  Source:  School Census.

Class Sizes: East of England

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the average  (a) middle school and  (b) upper school class size has been in each constituency in the East of England in each year since 1999.

Diana Johnson: The requested information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The latest available information on class sizes can be found in the SFR Schools, Pupils and Their Characteristics: January 2009 at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000843/index.shtml

Classroom Assistants: Derbyshire

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many teaching assistants have been appointed in  (a) Derbyshire and  (b) North East Derbyshire constituency since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: Information on the number of teaching assistant appointments is not collected centrally. Figures are however available for the number in service. The following table shows the number of teaching assistants in service in local authority maintained schools in Derbyshire local authority and North East Derbyshire constituency in January 1997 and 2009.
	
		
			  Full-time equivalent teaching assistants in local authority maintained schools( 1) , years January 1997 and 2009: Coverage: Derbyshire local authorities( 2)  and North East Derbyshire parliamentary constituency 
			   1997  2009 
			 Former Derbyshire 1,180 - 
			 Derbyshire (post 1 April 1997) - 2,230 
			 City of Derby - 1,040 
			 North East Derbyshire 70 260 
			 (1) Excludes academies and city technology colleges. (2) Derbyshire local authorities were re-organised with effect from 1 April 1997. The new authorities that make up the former Derbyshire area are shown for 2009.  Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: School Census

Climate Change: Teaching Aids

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what materials his Department provides to schools on the subject of the environment and climate change.

Diana Johnson: The Department's primary resource to support teaching about the environment and climate change is the Sustainable Schools website:
	www.teachernet.gov.uk/sustainableschools
	The website offers a wide variety of informative and engaging materials to aid schools in their teaching of sustainability issues within the curriculum, including the environment and climate change.
	The Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency has also published Sustainable development in action: A curriculum planning guide for schools which includes cross-curriculum dimensions, reflecting some of the major ideas and challenges facing society.
	In addition, through the Growing Schools programme, the Department has funded the Renewable World website:
	www.renewableworld.org.uk
	This is an innovative resource which allows pupils to explore the use of renewable and non-renewable materials in the past, present and future. This helps them understand that many of our cheap, oil-based products come at a high environmental cost, and to explore more sustainable options for the future.

Departmental Information Officers

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department and its predecessors spent on freelance press officers in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Diana Johnson: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2001-02 (1)- 
			 2002-03 0 
			 2003-04 0 
			 2004-05 45,467 
			 2005-06 57,624 
			 2006-07 117,981 
			 2007-08 60,771 
			 2008-09 21,550 
			 2009-10 0 
			 (1) No figures retained

Departmental Manpower

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many civil servants were employed by his Department on a permanent basis in each of the last 12 months.

Diana Johnson: Statistics on employee headcount and full-time equivalents (FTE) for the Department for Children Schools and Families are published regularly through the Office for National Statistics website:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=2899Pos=ColRank=1Rank=422

Departmental Public Expenditure

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 15 October 2009,  Official Report, column 1094W, on departmental public expenditure, which individual programmes and corresponding allocations for 2010-11 are aggregated under each of the entries listed in the tables.

Diana Johnson: holding answer 26 October 2009
	The reply given on 15 October 2009,  Official Report, column 1095W, was already a breakdown of allocation on programme line basis. This is the lowest level of meaningful information we can provide and any further breakdown of these figures would be on departmental account code basis.

Departmental Telephone Services

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many helplines his Department operates; and how much his Department and its predecessor has received from the operation of such helplines in each of the last three years.

Diana Johnson: The Department holds records centrally of 21 policy-specific helplines which it sponsors. A full survey would be possible only at disproportionate cost.
	The Department does not participate in revenue share schemes associated with non-geographic telephone numbers (e.g. 0870) and therefore derives no revenue from their use.

Education: Finance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department plans to spend on one-to-one tuition in  (a) 2009-10 and  (b) 2010-11; and if he will make a statement.

Diana Johnson: A total of £468 million funding has been set aside for one-to-one tuition over the CSR period. The one-to-one tuition funding is ring-fenced to local authorities (LAs) as part of the standards fund grant.
	In the spring and summer terms 2009 £15 million was provided for 36,000 tuition places in years five and six across all LAs. LAs reported that their schools delivered over 38,000 tuition places as part of this early roll out of the programme, with some LAs funding additional places from their own budgets.
	For the academic year 2009/10, £138 million will support 3.5 per cent. of the key stage 2, and key stage 3 (and in National Challenge schools key stage 4) cohorts in each of English and mathematics. All LAs are now working with their primary and secondary schools towards delivering their full 2009/10 allocation of tuition places.
	For 2010/11 funding rises to £315 million to support 300,000 pupils in English and 300,000 children in mathematics. Allocations and funding for tuition places in 2010/11 will be notified to LAs next month.

Faith Schools: Finance

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what grants have been made by his Department to independent faith schools in each of the last five years; which schools received such grants; what the denomination was of each such school; and against what criteria determinations of such grants were made.

Diana Johnson: This question can be answered only at disproportionate expense.

Family Intervention Projects: Derbyshire

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many family intervention projects there have been in  (a) Derbyshire and  (b) North East Derbyshire constituency.

Dawn Primarolo: There are two family intervention projects in Derbyshire. One of these serves North East Derbyshire constituency.

Family Intervention Projects: Finance

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding from the public purse has been allocated to family intervention projects in each of the next three years.

Dawn Primarolo: The Government allocated £35.5 million for family intervention projects in 2009-10 and are planning to allocate £57.1 million Government funding in 2010-11, an increase of 61 per cent. In addition there is anticipated match funding of £9.5 million from Registered Social Landlords, Housing Associations and Youth Offending Teams. Departmental budgets, and therefore the funding for Family Intervention Projects, have yet to be determined beyond March 2011. Decisions will be made following Spending Review discussions once the Department's settlement is agreed.

GCSE

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the answer of 21 July 2008,  Official Report, column 929W, on children: disadvantaged, how many and what proportion of  (a) all pupils and  (b) pupils eligible to receive free school meals did not attain a GCSE at a grade higher than a D in 2008.

Vernon Coaker: 126,868 pupils did not attain a GCSE at a grade higher than a D in 2007/08. This represents 21.3 per cent. of pupils at the end of key stage 4 in maintained schools.
	31,644 pupils eligible to receive free school meals did not attain a GCSE at a grade higher than a D in 2007/08. This represents 42.4 per cent. of eligible pupils at the end of key stage 4 in maintained schools.
	 Note
	Other equivalent qualifications to GCSEs are not included in this answer. Only full GCSEs (including double awards) have been considered.

GCSE

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils  (a) eligible and  (b) ineligible for free school meals did not sit GCSE examinations in five or more subjects in (i) 2008, (ii) 2007, (iii) 2006 and (iv) 2005.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Pupils at the end of key stage 4 who did not sit GCSE or equivalent examinations in five or more subjects 
			   FSM pupils  Non-FSM pupils 
			   Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 2005 10,950 13.8 23,829 4.8 
			 2006 10,911 14.0 25,456 4.9 
			 2007 10,569 13.8 26,203 5.0 
			 2008 8,704 11.7 21,716 4.2 
			  Note: These figures have been derived from the National Pupil Database and cover pupils at the end of key stage 4 in maintained schools only.

GCSE: Disadvantaged

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils eligible for free school meals did not obtain a C grade or above in  (a) any GCSE,  (b) mathematics GCSE and  (c) English GCSE in 2009.

Vernon Coaker: Information on GCSE attainment by pupil characteristics for the 2008/09 academic year is not yet available. The first results from this data will be published in December 2009.

GCSE: Enfield

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children at schools in Enfield North constituency obtained five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C or equivalent in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested is given in the table. Data for 2009 are not provided because the Department does not publish results below local authority level until it has been checked by schools. This data will be available after the publication of the Achievement and Attainment Tables in mid January.
	
		
			  Pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 in maintained schools in North Enfield constituency achieving five or more GCSEs or equivalent( 1)  at grades A*-C, 1996/07 to 2007/08( 2) 
			   Number of pupils achieving five or more GCSEs at grades A*-C  Percentage of pupils achieving five or more GCSEs at grades A*-C 
			 2007/08 897 54.7 
			 2006/07 830 52.4 
			 2005/06 796 51.0 
			 2004/05 795 51.7 
			 2003/04 774 49.5 
			 2002/03 745 48.7 
			 2001/02 678 43.9 
			 2000/01 681 43.9 
			 1999/2000 612 40.9 
			 1998/99 641 44.1 
			 1997/98 528 37.3 
			 1996/97 562 38.4 
			 (1) From 1997/98 includes GNVQ equivalences and from 2003/04 other equivalences approved for use pre-16. (2) Figures for 2005/06 onwards are based on pupils at the end of Key Stage 4. Data for previous years are based on pupils aged 15 years old at the start of the academic year.

Gifted Children: Leeds

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of pupils in Leeds West constituency have participated in gifted and talented programmes in the last academic year.

Diana Johnson: The Department does not collect data on which pupils in schools are on gifted and talented programmes. Through the school census, schools are asked to confirm the number of gifted and talented pupils they have identified. According to the January 2009 census, 663 (9.8 per cent.) of pupils in maintained primary schools and 372 (10.1 per cent.) of pupils in maintained secondary schools were identified as gifted and talented in the Leeds West constituency.

Headteachers

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many executive heads and executive directors of secondary schools there are in England; and what the salary range is.

Vernon Coaker: The term 'executive head' is used to describe a variety of roles, including head teachers who are responsible and accountable for more than one school, either as a temporary or permanent arrangement, instead of there being a head teacher for each individual school; or head teachers who are responsible and accountable for the day-to-day management of their own schools but in addition provide a service to another school.
	The term executive director is also used to describe a number of different roles such as an individual who is appointed across a number of schools, each of which has its own head teacher and governing body responsible and accountable for the day-to-day management of that school.
	Because there is currently no common definition of executive head or executive director, no figures are available on the numbers of posts that are being described in this way.
	Following the School Teacher's Review Body's (STRB) recommendation that the Department should investigate and clarify the role and status of the various models of executive head, research has been commissioned to define and evaluate these models. The results of the research will feed into a future remit to the STRB which will focus on long term leadership pay arrangements that take full account of the emerging models of school leadership.
	Interim changes were introduced into the STPCD from September 2009 to reflect emerging leadership models, including recognition for heads who become responsible for running more than one school either on a permanent or temporary basis. The provisions in the STPCD provide for employers to determine a salary for heads who take on responsibility for running more than one school that is above the top of the leadership pay spine (£109,658 in Inner London and £102,734 elsewhere). It is a matter for individual employers to determine the appropriate salary that takes account of the nature and challenge of the responsibilities associated with running more than one school.

Languages: GCSE

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families at how many and what proportion of maintained mainstream schools which offered modern language GCSEs no pupil received a GCSE in a modern language at grades A* to C in  (a) 2005,  (b) 2006 and  (c) 2007.

Vernon Coaker: The Department does not hold information on which subjects are offered by schools.
	The following table is based on exam entries,
	
		
			  Mainstream maintained schools in which no pupil at the end of key stage 4 achieved a grade C or above in a modern foreign language GCSE 
			 Total 
			   Schools with more than 10 pupils attempting a modern foreign language GCSE  Schools with 1-10 pupils attempting a modern foreign language GCSE  Number  Percentage 
			 2005 3 59 62 2.0 
			 2006 1 76 77 2.5 
			 2007 1 100 101 3.3 
			  Source: Achievement and Attainment Tables' database. 
		
	
	In order to protect confidentiality, it would not be possible to name schools with 10 or fewer pupils entering a modern foreign language GCSE.

Members: Correspondence

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he will reply to the hon. Member for Christchurch's letter of 16 September 2009 on the Mediabox project, The Dreamwalkers.

Diana Johnson: The Department has no record of that letter being received. If the hon. Member forwards a copy of the letter to the Department it will be answered in line with Whitehall standards.

National Council for Educational Excellence

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many times the National Council for Educational Excellence has met since 1 January 2009; and which Ministers attended those meetings.

Vernon Coaker: There was one meeting of the full National Council for Educational Excellence on 16 July 2009 at Acland Burghley School. I attended along with my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, the Prime Minister, the Minister of State for Higher Education and Intellectual Property and my hon. Friend, the Under-Secretary of State for 14-19 Reform and Apprenticeships.

Primary Education

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils were being taught in primary schools with over 800 pupils in  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2009.

Vernon Coaker: In 1997 there were 9,266 sole registered pupils (headcount) being taught in primary schools with over 800 pupils. The equivalent figure for 2009 is 14,127 pupils. Information is sourced from the school census.

Primary Education: Pupil Exclusions

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and for what reasons primary school pupils of each age were given a fixed-period exclusion in 2007-08.

Vernon Coaker: Information on the number of fixed period exclusions from primary schools by age and reason for exclusion, and the number of pupils excluded by age, is shown in the table.
	Pupils can be excluded more than once, and each exclusion can be for a different reason, therefore the number of exclusions by reason for pupils cannot be calculated.
	
		
			  Primary schools( 1) : Number of fixed period exclusions by age and reason for exclusion, and the number of times pupil enrolments( 2)  were excluded by age( 3) , England 2007/08 
			   Age( 2)  
			   3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  Total 
			  Number of instances of exclusion (pupils can have multiple exclusions):   
			 Physical assault against a pupil 20 310 630 770 1,250 1,830 2,480 3,350 60 10,690 
			 Physical assault against an adult 10 520 1,120 1,160 1,160 1,120 1,060 910 20 7,090 
			 Verbal abuse/threatening behaviour against a pupil (4)- 30 60 120 240 400 620 850 20 2,330 
			 Verbal abuse/threatening behaviour against an adult (4)- 50 180 310 540 840 1,380 1,900 40 5,260 
			 Bullying 0 (4)- 20 20 40 50 120 220 10 460 
			 Racist abuse 0 0 10 10 50 80 120 130 (4)- 390 
			 Sexual misconduct 0 10 20 10 30 30 60 80 (4)- 240 
			 Drug and alcohol related 0 0 0 0 (4)- (4)- 10 20 0 40 
			 Damage 0 10 30 50 120 140 220 290 10 860 
			 Theft 0 (4)- 10 10 40 50 80 130 (4)- 320 
			 Persistent disruptive behaviour (4)- 200 670 960 1,690 2,230 3,240 3,730 70 12,800 
			 Other (4)- 50 110 150 270 420 760 1,030 40 2,830 
			 Total 40 1,190 2,850 3,570 5,420 7,190 10,140 12,620 280 43,290 
			
			 Number of pupil enrolments excluded(2) 30 640 1,360 1,710 2,710 3,670 5,290 6,910 150 22,460 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed.  (2) Pupils may be counted more than once if they were registered at more than one school or moved schools during the year.  (3) Age as at 31st August 2007.  (4) Less than 5.   Note:  Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.   Source:  School Census

Private Education: Per Capita Costs

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his most recent estimate is of the average annual sum spent per pupil in the private educational sector; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The Department does not collect data from the independent sector. However, the hon. Member may be interested to know that the Independent Schools Council (ISC) conducts an annual census and information for independent day school fees can be found on their website on:
	http://www.isc.co.uk/

Pupils: Absenteeism

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children have had one or more periods of absence from school for more than a week due to serious illness in  (a) England,  (b) the North East,  (c) the Tees Valley and (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency since 1999.

Vernon Coaker: Information is not available in the form requested.
	The latest available information on absence where the reason code is illness (not medical or dental) is available in the SFR 'Pupil Absence in Schools in England: Autumn Term 2008 and Spring Term 2009' at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000882/index.shtml
	The latest available figures for a full year are available in the SFR 'Pupil Absence in Schools in England, including Pupil Characteristics: 2007/08' at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000832/index.shtml

Pupils: Disadvantaged

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of pupils in each local education authority area are entitled to free school meals; and if he will make a statement.

Diana Johnson: The requested information on free school meals is published as part of the Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics SFR: January 2009, at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000843/index.shtml
	The data regarding nursery and primary schools are contained in Table 11a, the data for State-funded Secondary schools are in Table 11b and the data for Special schools are in Table 11c.

Pupils: East of England

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the pupil to teacher ratio has been in each local education authority in the East of England at key stage  (a) 1,  (b) 2 and  (c) 3 in each year since 1999.

Vernon Coaker: Information on pupil to teacher ratios (PTR) by key stage is not collected centrally. Figures are however available for the within school PTR by phase of education. The following table shows the number of pupil to teacher ratios in local authority maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools in each local authority within the east of England Government office region, January 1997 to 2009.
	
		
			  Within school pupil:teacher ratios( 1 ) in local authority maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools( 2) .( ) Years: January 1997 to 2009 .  Coverage: Local authorities in the East of England 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			  Nursery  
			 Former Cambridgeshire 19.1 18.7 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Cambridgeshire (post 1 April 1998) n/a n/a 16.3 17.9 16.3 13.9 13.6 13.2 13.9 14.4 13.5 12.5 13.7 
			 Peterborough n/a n/a 20.9 15.1 20.0 16.0 14.7 11.4 11.6 13.0 14.6 14.7 18.0 
			 Norfolk 19.1 18.7 24.5 - 17.3 15.6 13.6 12.2 14.5 11.9 13.1 13.5 15.3 
			 Suffolk 22.9 22.9 22.9 19.1 22.9 23.4 23.4 23.2 21.5 21.5 21.6 20.9 19.0 
			 Former Bedfordshire 19.0 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Bedfordshire (post 1 April 1997) n/a 18.6 17.9 16.0 16.3 15.9 17.1 16.8 18.7 16.2 18.5 16.9 15.6 
			 Luton n/a 22.8 20.1 - 15.8 15.4 14.1 14.6 14.4 12.8 13.1 13.7 14.5 
			 Former Essex 18.6 17.3 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Essex (post  1 April 1998) n/a n/a 16.6 19.5 15.1 14.8 14.8 14.8 14.8 14.7 14.5 14.3 14.6 
			 Southend-on-Sea n/a n/a - 19.4 - - - - - - - - - 
			 Thurrock n/a n/a - 23.9 - - - - - - - - - 
			 Hertfordshire 18.4 18.1 19.4 16.1 18.3 16.6 16.9 17.3 17.2 18.4 16.9 16.6 16.2 
			 East of England 18.8 19.0 19.0 17.8 17.0 15.8 15.6 15.3 15.9 15.3 15.4 15.1 15.4 
			   
			  Primary  
			 Former Cambridgeshire 24.4 24.9 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Cambridgeshire (post 1 April 1998) n/a n/a 25.0 23.5 24.1 23.3 23.7 23.6 23.6 22.9 22.2 22.5 22.3 
			 Peterborough n/a n/a 24.2 23.2 23.0 22.9 23.1 23.2 22.5 21.9 21.8 22.0 21.5 
			 Norfolk 22.3 22.5 22.7 22.8 22.1 23.0 21.7 22.3 22.1 21.3 21.1 21.4 20.8 
			 Suffolk 22.3 22.2 22.0 22.7 22.0 21.5 21.7 21.7 21.5 21.1 20.7 20.1 20.0 
			 Former Bedfordshire 23.3 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Bedfordshire (post 1 April 1997 n/a 23.8 23.8 22.3 22.9 22.3 22.6 22.8 23.0 22.2 22.1 21.5 21.5 
			 Luton n/a 22.7 22.6 23.4 22.9 22.7 23.5 23.5 23.4 23.6 22.8 22.1 21.5 
			 Former Essex 23.0 23.5 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Essex (post  1 April 1998) n/a n/a 23.5 23.2 22.9 22.8 23.0 23.2 22.9 22.5 22.4 21.9 21.8 
			 Southend-on-Sea n/a n/a 24.0 23.2 23.5 23.0 23.3 22.8 23.0 22.2 22.1 21.2 21.6 
			 Thurrock n/a n/a 23.9 22.1 22.8 21.8 23.6 24.9 25.0 23.3 22.8 23.1 22.4 
			 Hertfordshire 22.9 23.0 23.0 24.6 23.0 22.8 23.0 23.0 22.5 22.4 23.2 22.7 22.6 
			 East of England 23.0 23.3 23.3 23.1 22.8 22.7 22.8 22.9 22.7 22.2 22.1 21.9 21.7 
			   
			  Secondary  
			 Former Cambridgeshire 17.4 17.5 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Cambridgeshire (post 1 April 1998) n/a n/a 18.1 18.7 18.7 18.1 18.2 18.7 18.3 18.2 18.3 17.5 17.2 
			 Peterborough n/a n/a 16.7 17.2 17.2 17.3 17.4 17.0 16.9 16.5 16.5 16.6 16.5 
			 Norfolk 15.7 16.1 16.2 18.5 16.9 17.5 17.1 17.3 17.6 17.0 17.2 17.3 17.1 
			 Suffolk 16.6 16.5 16.6 16.6 17.1 16.9 16.9 17.2 17.0 17.2 17.0 16.6 16.5 
			 Former Bedfordshire 17.8 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Bedfordshire (post 1 April 1997 n/a 18.3 18.5 17.3 18.8 18.4 18.7 18.4 18.7 18.3 18.0 18.0 17.3 
			 Luton n/a 16.7 16.9 16.9 17.9 18.0 17.9 17.7 18.5 17.8 18.6 17.8 16.7 
			 Former Essex 16.6 16.7 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Essex (post  1 April 1998) n/a n/a 16.8 17.1 17.5 17.5 17.6 18.0 17.4 17.3 17.3 16.8 16.4 
			 Southend-on-Sea n/a n/a 16.4 16.6 16.8 17.2 17.3 17.7 17.9 18.2 18.2 17.6 17.5 
			 Thurrock n/a n/a 18.0 16.9 18.9 19.8 19.8 20.8 19.9 18.7 19.0 19.2 19.1 
			 Hertfordshire 15.9 16.1 16.3 18.7 16.7 16.8 17.0 17.1 16.8 16.7 16.4 16.3 16.0 
			 East of England 16.6 16.7 16.9 17.2 17.4 17.5 17.5 17.7 17.5 17.3 17.2 17.0 16.7 
			 n/a = Not applicable '-' = Negligible (1) The within school PTRis calculated by dividing the total FTE number of pupils on roll in schools by the total FTE number of qualified teachers regularly employed in schools. (2) Excludes academies and city technology colleges.  Note: For statistical purposes only, pupils who do not attend both morning and afternoon at least five days a week are regarded as part-time. Each part-time pupil is treated as 0.5 FTE.  Source: School Census

Pupils: Per Capita Costs

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department plans to spend per school pupil in each local education authority in the East of England in 2009-10; and how much has been spent in each such authority in each academic year since 1999-2000.

Vernon Coaker: Per pupil revenue funding figures for pupils aged three to 19 for local authorities in the East of England between 1999-2000 and 2005-06 are shown in table 1. These figures are in real terms and are based on financial years.
	
		
			  Table 1: Local authority revenue funding per pupil 
			  £ 
			   1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Bedfordshire 3,360 3,660 3,860 3,980 4,040 4,200 4,410 
			 Cambridgeshire 3,260 3,480 3,610 3,700 3,890 4,050 4,260 
			 Essex 3,450 3,710 3,890 3,980 4,090 4,250 4,430 
			 Hertfordshire 3,440 3,690 3,870 3,970 4,050 4,210 4,370 
			 Luton 3,720 3,970 4,180 4,310 4,500 4,650 4,900 
			 Norfolk 3,360 3,620 3,800 3,900 3,990 4,160 4,360 
			 Peterborough 3,530 3,770 3,920 4,080 4,290 4,500 4,720 
			 Southend-on-Sea 3,550 3,810 4,020 4,130 4,200 4,370 4,560 
			 Suffolk 3,260 3,500 3,660 3,760 3,840 4,000 4,190 
			 Thurrock 3,630 3,870 4,090 4,210 4,330 4,530 4,650 
			  Notes: 1. Price Base: Real terms at 2008-09 prices, based on GDP deflators as at 29 September 2009. 2. Figures reflect relevant sub-blocks of standard spending assessment/education formula spending (EFS) settlements and exclude the pensions transfer to EFS and LSC. 3. Total funding also includes all revenue grants in DFES departmental expenditure limits relevant to pupils aged three to 19 and exclude education maintenance allowances (EMAs) and grants not allocated at LEA level. For those authorities in receipt of advance of grant under the transitional support arrangements for 2004-05, advance grant funding is included in the year of payment (2004-05). There will be a consequential reduction in DFES grant for these LEAs in future years (either 2006-07 and 2007-08 or 2006-07 to 2008-09, depending on the terms on which the advance was given to the LEA). 4. The pupil numbers used to convert £ million figures to £ per pupil are those underlying the SSA/EFS settlement calculations plus PLASC three-year-old maintained pupils and estimated three to four-year-olds funded through state support in maintained and other educational institutions where these are not included in the SSA pupil numbers. 5. Rounding: Figures are rounded to the nearest £10. 6. Status: Some of the grant allocations have not been finalised. If these do change, the effect on the funding figures is expected to be minimal. 
		
	
	The revenue per pupil figures shown in table 2 is taken from the dedicated schools grant (DSG). They are not comparable with those for the years 1997-98 to 2005-06 (in table 1 above) because the introduction of the DSG in 2006-07 fundamentally changed how local authorities are funded.
	The 1997-98 to 2005-06 figures are based on education formula spending (EFS) which formed the education part of the Local Government Finance Settlement, plus various grants. This was an assessment of what local authorities needed to fund education rather than what they spent. The DSG is based largely on an authority's previous spending. In addition, the DSG has a different coverage to EFS. EFS comprised a schools block and an LEA block (to cover LEA central functions) whereas DSG only covers the school block. LEA block items are still funded through DCLG's Local Government Finance Settlement but education items cannot be separately identified. Consequently, there is a break in the Department's time series as the two sets of data are not comparable.
	To provide a comparison for 2008-09 DSG, the Department have isolated the schools block equivalent funding in 2005-06 (the baseline); as described above this does not represent the totality of 'education' funding in that year. The per pupil revenue funding figures for 2005-06 to 2008-09 (in financial years) for local authorities in the East of England are provided in Table 2. The figures are for all funded pupils aged three to19 and are in real terms.
	
		
			  Table 2 
			  £ 
			   2005-06 DSG (baseline) plus grants per pupil  2006-07 DSG plus grants per pupil  2007-08 DSG plus grants per pupil  2008-09 DSG plus grants per pupil 
			 Bedfordshire 3,970 4,100 4,260 4,320 
			 Cambridgeshire 3,950 4,070 4,210 4,280 
			 Essex 4,130 4,240 4,390 4,450 
			 Hertfordshire 4,160 4,250 4,390 4,500 
			 Luton 4,540 4,730 4,920 4,960 
			 Norfolk 4,110 4,210 4,360 4,410 
			 Peterborough 4,410 4,550 4,700 4,790 
			 Southend-on-Sea 4,340 4,460 4,590 4,620 
			 Suffolk 3,970 4,100 4,260 4,320 
			 Thurrock 4,290 4,490 4,670 4,700 
			  Notes: 1. This covers funding through the Dedicated schools grant, school standards grant, school standards grant (personalisation) and standards fund as well as funding from the Learning and Skills Council; it excludes grants which are not allocated at LA level. 2. Price Base: Real terms at 2008-09 prices, based on GDP deflators as at 29 September 2009. 3. These figures are for all funded pupils aged three to 19. 4. Figures have been rounded to the nearest £10. 5. Some of the grant allocations have not been finalised. If these do change, the effect on the funding figures is expected to be minimal. 
		
	
	As the 2009-10 grant data that feed into this series are not yet finalised, comparable figures for 2009-10 are not yet available.
	In order to provide a per pupil figure for 2009-10, the guaranteed unit of funding for local authorities in the east of England is provided in table 3. This does not include other grants such as standards fund grants and LSC funding that is included above in tables 1 and 2, and only covers pupils aged three to 15.
	
		
			  Table  3 : DSG guaranteed unit of funding 
			  2009-10  £ 
			 Luton 4,402 
			 Bedford Borough 3,998 
			 Central Bedfordshire 3,938 
			 Cambridgeshire 3,926 
			 Peterborough 4,246 
			 Essex 4,067 
			 Southend-on-Sea 4,171 
			 Thurrock 4,291 
			 Hertfordshire 4,039 
			 Norfolk 3,945 
			 Suffolk 3,900 
			  Note: This includes the two new authorities as of 2009-10: Bedford borough and central Bedfordshire.

Pupils: Per Capita Costs

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the per pupil funding for  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school children in Birmingham was in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: The per pupil revenue funding figures for primary and secondary school pupils for Birmingham local authority in 2004-05 and 2005-06 are as follows. These figures are in real terms.
	
		
			  Real terms revenue funding per pupil: EFS plus grants 
			  £ 
			   2004-05  2005-06 
			   Primary (aged 3-10)  Secondary (aged 11-15)  Primary (aged 3-10)  Secondary (aged 11-15) 
			 Birmingham local authority 4,250 5,430 4,570 5,760 
			  Notes: 1. Price base: Real terms at 2008-09 prices, based on GDP deflators as at 29 September 2009. 2. Figures reflect relevant sub-blocks of education formula spending (EFS) settlements and include the pensions transfer to EFS. 3. Total funding also includes all revenue grants in DfES departmental expenditure limits relevant to pupils aged three to 15 and exclude education maintenance allowances (EMAs) and grants not allocated at LEA level. 4. The pupil numbers used to convert £ million figures to £ per pupil are those underlying the EFS settlement calculations. 5. Rounding: Figures are rounded to the nearest £10. 
		
	
	The revenue per pupil figures shown in the following table are taken from the new dedicated schools grant (DSG). They are not comparable with those for the years 2004-05 to 2005-06 because the introduction of the DSG in 2006-07 fundamentally changed how local authorities are funded.
	The 2004-05 to 2005-06 figures are based on education formula spending (EFS) which formed the education part of the local government finance settlement, plus various grants. This was an assessment of what local authorities needed to fund education rather than what they spent. The DSG is based largely on an authority's previous spending. In addition, the DSG has a different coverage to EFS. EFS comprised a schools block and an LEA block (to cover LEA central functions) whereas DSG only covers the school block. LEA block items are still funded through DCLG's local government finance settlement but education items cannot be separately identified. Consequently, there is a break in the Department's time series as the two sets of data are not comparable.
	To provide a comparison for 2006-07 DSG, the Department have isolated the schools block equivalent funding in 2005-06; as described above, this does not represent the totality of 'education' funding in that year.
	The per pupil revenue funding figures for years 2005-06 (baseline) to 2008-09 for Birmingham local authority are provided in the following table. As the DSG is a mechanism for distributing funding, a split between primary and secondary schools is not available. The following figures are for all funded pupils aged three to 19 and are in real terms.
	
		
			  Real terms revenue funding per pupil: DSG plus grants 
			  £ 
			   2005-06 (baseline)  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Birmingham local authority 4,820 4,990 5,180 5,240 
			  Notes: 1. This covers funding through the dedicated schools grant, school standards grant, school standards grant (personalisation) and standards fund as well as funding from the Learning and Skills Council; it excludes grants which are not allocated at LA level. 2. Price base: Real terms at 2008-09 prices, based on GDP deflators as at 29 September 2009. 3. These figures are for all funded pupils aged three to 19. 4. Figures have been rounded to the nearest £10. 5. Some of the grant allocations have not been finalised. If these do change, the effect on the funding figures is expected to be minimal.

Pupils: Special Educational Needs

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils with special educational needs there were in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested on pupils with special educational needs is published annually by my Department.
	Figures for 2005 to 2009 were published in the Statistical First Release Special Educational Needs in England: January 2009, which can be accessed at (tables 1a and 1b):
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000852/index.shtml
	Figures for 2003 and 2004 were published in the Statistical First Release Special Educational Needs in England: January 2007, which can be accessed at (tables 1a and 1b):
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000732/index.shtml
	Figures for 1997 to 2002 were published in the Statistical Bulletin Special Educational Needs in England: January 2002, which can be accessed at (tables 1a and 1b):
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SBU/b000367/index.shtml

Schools: Admissions

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what account he has taken of the most recent population projections provided by the Office of National Statistics in assessing the adequacy of provision of school places at reception and year 1 in  (a) the academic year beginning September 2009 and  (b) each of the next 10 years.

Vernon Coaker: Central Government funding to support local provision of school places is decided some time in advance, partly because of the time needed for the building of new capacity and partly to respond to local authorities' longstanding plea for a degree of funding certainty. So the central Government decisions on allocating capital funding for school places in 2009, 2010 and 2011 were made some time ago, using pupil number forecasts provided to my Department from local authorities.
	Over the last few months, it has become clear that in some localities the rise in child population has been steeper than had been allowed for. So on 15 July, we announced an allocation of £200 million for authorities which are experiencing and forecasting exceptionally high rates of growth in demand for reception places to 2011, to support the provision of permanent places where there is greatest need. DCSF is currently appraising applications and aims to make an announcement shortly.
	We are about to begin work with authorities on the design of our future approach to deploying capital support to local authorities. That work will draw on the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) projections.

Schools: Derbyshire

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much has been spent on  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school refurbishment in (i) Derbyshire and (ii) North East Derbyshire constituency since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: Capital allocations are made on a local authority basis, and are then prioritised locally. Similarly, local authorities determine the relative spend on primary and secondary schools. Accordingly, there is no central record of spend for North East Derbyshire, or of the split between primary and secondary schools.
	School capital allocations to Derbyshire for school improvement, during the 14 year period 1996-97 to 2009-10, total £633 million. The local authority will also have spent revenue funding on those elements of refurbishment that are of a revenue nature. The total referred to above includes an allocation of nearly £115 million for the Building Schools for the Future programme.

Schools: Finance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of his Department's budget was allocated directly by his Department and not devolved to schools or local authorities in 2008-09; and if he will make a statement.

Diana Johnson: The proportion of our budget allocated directly by the Department and not devolved to schools or local authorities in 2008-09 is set out in the following table.
	
		
			   Percentage 
			 Youth Taskforce 13.66 
			 14-19 Reform Group 0.01 
			 Sure start 0.46 
			 Early Years Extended Schools and Special Needs Group 0.10 
			 Families 0.37 
			 Safeguarding 0.07 
			 Supporting Delivery 0.15 
			 School Standards 1.23 
			 School Resources 3.91 
			 Academies and Capital 0.13 
			 Workforce Strategy 0.02 
			 Support directorates 0.20 
			 School Performance and Reform 0.01 
			 Total 20.32

Schools: Hearing Impaired Pupils

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the level of compliance of schools with the acoustic requirements of deaf and hard of hearing pupils in classrooms; and if he will make a statement.

Diana Johnson: We are working closely with the National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS) who have collated information from local authorities on acoustic conditions in classrooms, to help ensure that the needs of children who are deaf or hard of hearing are met.
	As a result of this work, acoustics testing will now be made a contractual requirement for all Building Schools for the Future (BSF) projects in England. This means that no funding will be signed off for a BSF project without a commitment to having the £6,000 acoustic test. More information on our proposals can be found in the written ministerial statement of 16 October 2009,  Official Report, columns 51-52WS on auditory standards for school buildings, laid by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families:
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200809/ldhansrd/text/91019wms000l.htm#0910193000049
	The Department does not assess schools' level of compliance with acoustic requirements of deaf and hard of hearing pupils centrally.

Schools: Inspections

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will place in the Library a copy of the 2005 Ofsted Framework for Inspecting Maintained Schools in England.

Vernon Coaker: A copy of the July 2005 version of the Framework for the inspection of schools in England from September 2005 has been placed in the Libraries.

Schools: Mental Health

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what strategies his Department has considered to raise awareness of mental health issues in schools.

Dawn Primarolo: As the key universal service for children, schools play an important role in the promotion of better emotional health and resilience and early intervention where mental health problems may arise. There are a number of programmes in schools that increase awareness of mental health issues for children and young people. These include the Healthy Schools Programme and Targeted Mental Health in Schools.
	The Healthy Schools Programme requires schools to have policies and practices in place to support emotional health and wellbeing, including identifying children at risk of experiencing behavioural, emotional or social difficulties. Currently 99 per cent. of schools in England are working towards or have achieved Healthy School status.
	The Targeted Mental Health in Schools (TaMHS) programme is developing models of mental health support in schools for those children, young people and their families who need it most. The project includes training for school staff to equip them with the knowledge and ability to identify problems early, to work with and support children and young people at risk of experiencing mental health problems and to refer them to appropriate mental health professionals, as necessary. It also provides mental health awareness and promotion for children, young people and families. Funded by £60 million between 2008 and 2011, the programme is currently operating in 80 local authorities. From September 2010 TaMHS will be operating in clusters of schools in all areas.
	There are other school based programmes that also promote better emotional wellbeing. Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) is a comprehensive voluntary programme to develop the social and emotional skills of all pupils, while the new personal wellbeing programme of study within Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education includes a specific focus on issues relating to emotional wellbeing and mental health.

Schools: Standards

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of  (a) all schools and  (b) Catholic schools Ofsted rated as excellent or very good against its respect for others measure on the latest date for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM chief inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to my right hon. Friend and a copy of her reply has been placed in the Libraries.
	 Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 23 October 2009:
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for response.
	Ofsted does not have a judgement which relates directly to 'respect for others'. The inspection judgement that most closely approximates to 'respect for others' is 'The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development'. In forming the judgement, inspectors take account of:
	Learners' response to spiritual and moral issues, such as their attitudes to bullying, and their effective discussion in lessons
	the quality of learners' social development as expressed through their relationships with their peers and with adults
	learners' understanding of Britain as a diverse society and their readiness to engage with others from a different cultural background
	the extent to which they embrace the shared values of the community and contribute to its cohesiveness.
	Under the school inspection frameworks used between January 2000 and August 2005 (commonly known as section 10), the school's overall effectiveness judgement was made using a seven point scale: excellent, very good, good, satisfactory, unsatisfactory, poor and very poor. From September 2005 to September 2009, the overall effectiveness judgement was made under the school inspection framework commonly known as Section 5, using a four point scale: outstanding, good, satisfactory and inadequate. It is not possible to operate a simple read-across approach from 2000 to the present, using these different systems.
	The latest period for which published figures are available is the spring term 2008/09. This answer, therefore, takes into account all inspections carried out prior to 3 April 2009. At that time, there were still some schools that had not yet been inspected under the section 5 framework.
	For the purposes of answering this question, excellent or very good are interpreted as being analogous to outstanding as defined under the Section 5 inspection framework.
	Of all the schools open on 4 April 2009 and having received an Ofsted inspection, 35% were judged as outstanding under section 5, or as excellent or very good under section 10, at their last inspection in respect of 'the extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development'.
	Of all Roman Catholic schools open on 4 April 2009 and having received an Ofsted inspection, 51% were judged as outstanding under section 5, or as excellent or very good under section 10, at their last inspection in respect of 'the extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development'.
	A copy of this reply has been sent to Vernon Coaker MP, Minister of State for Schools and Learners, and placed in the library of both Houses.

Schools: Uniforms

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which local authorities offer grants to parents to purchase uniforms; and which local authorities offered such grants in 1997.

Diana Johnson: Local authorities have a discretionary power to provide school clothing grants or to help with the cost of school clothing in cases of financial hardship. Local authorities that choose to offer such grants set their own criteria for eligibility.
	The Department does not collect data on which local authorities provide school clothing grants.

Science: Teachers

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of science teachers specialised in  (a) physics,  (b) chemistry and  (c) biology in the latest year for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: The specialisms of science teachers in maintained secondary schools in England were collected as part of the Secondary School Curriculum and Staffing Survey. This is an occasional survey that does not provide a full time series.
	The following table gives data from the 2007 survey, the most recent survey available, for full-time equivalent teachers. It shows the percentage of science teachers who had a specialism in each science specialism(1) and the percentages of occurrences for each specialism:
	(1) In this case, a specialism is any post A-level qualification (including degrees, BEds, PGCEs, Certificates in Education and other post A-level qualifications) in one of Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Other Science.
	
		
			  Science teachers' science specialisms, England, 2007 
			   Percentage of teachers  Percentage of specialisms 
			 Biology 40 32 
			 Chemistry 27 22 
			 Physics 27 22 
			 Other science 20 16 
			 Non-science subject 10 8 
			 Total 124 100 
			  Note: Base: 35,720 teachers and 44,022 cases of specialism  Source:  Secondary School Curriculum and Staffing Survey, 2007 
		
	
	Some teachers had a qualification that covered more than one science subject, so the teacher figures sum to more than 100 per cent. Teachers were only double counted if they held qualifications in more than one of the Biology, Chemistry and Physics specialisms, otherwise they were only included in one category. A teacher with more than one qualification in the same subject was counted only once against that specialism.
	The second set of figures shows the percentage of specialisms. Where qualifications covered more than one science subject, equal weight was given to each subject when recalculating to sum to 100 per cent.. The analysis did not take into account how many periods were taught by a teacher, so the specialism of a teacher who taught one period of science was given an equal weight to a teacher who taught 20 periods of science.

Secondary Education

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many secondary schools with more than  (a) 500,  (b) 1,000,  (c) 1,500,  (d) 2,000 and  (e) 2,500 pupils there were in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2009.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		
			  State funded secondary schools: number of schools by size( 1, 2, 3, 4) , January 1997 and 2009, England 
			  Schools of size  1997  2009 
			 More than 500 pupils 3,016 3,002 
			 More than 1,000 pupils 1,155 1,494 
			 More than 1,500 pupils 136 294 
			 More than 2,000 pupils 6 26 
			 More than 2,500 pupils 0 3 
			 All state funded secondary schools 3,584 3,361 
			 (1) Based on headcount of pupils, excludes dual registrations. (2 )Includes middle schools as deemed. (3 )Includes CTCs and academies. (4 )Schools are counted against each relevant row e.g. those in 'more than 1,000' are also in 'more than 500'.  Source:  School Census.

Secondary Education: Milton Keynes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of trends in levels of applications to secondary schools in the Milton Keynes area.

Diana Johnson: Since 2008, local authorities have been required to provide data to the Secretary of State on secondary school offers made on the day that parents are notified of their school places. This year's data were published on 12 March 2009 and can be accessed in the SFR 'Secondary School Applications and Offers' at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/STR/d000833/index.shtml
	This year, figures for Milton Keynes local authority show that, of the 2,853 applications received from parents living within the local authority area, 87.3 per cent. were offered their first choice school and 97.5 per cent. were offered a place at one of their first three choices.

Special Educational Needs: East of England

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding has been allocated to special needs provision in each county in the east of England in each year since 1999.

Diana Johnson: The available information on how much funding has been allocated to special needs provision in each local authority in the east of England in each year since 1999 is contained within the following tables. Data are not available prior to 2000-01:
	
		
			  Budgeted net expenditure on the provision of education for children with special educational needs by local authorities in England since 2000-01 
			   Budgeted net expenditure on the education of children with special educational needs (£) 
			  Local authority name  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05 
			 England 2,763,226,000 2,908,380,000 3,038,661,000 3,466,180,000 3,774,757,000 
			   
			 East of England GOR 262,754,000 281,293,000 296,178,000 339,448,000 371,652,000 
			   
			 Pre-LGR Bedfordshire 19,250,000 21,011,000 18,838,000 24,669,000 26,198,000 
			 Bedford Borough  
			 Central Bedfordshire  
			 Cambridgeshire 31,017,000 33,352,000 36,290,000 44,958,000 42,980,000 
			 Essex 62,904,000 68,285,000 69,328,000 75,876,000 81,359,000 
			 Hertfordshire 54,162,000 56,668,000 55,427,000 63,654,000 71,970,000 
			 Luton 9,136,000 9,321,000 14,765,000 15,673,000 17,867,000 
			 Norfolk 34,824,000 37,782,000 38,304,000 42,233,000 44,946,000 
			 Peterborough 12,325,000 13,410,000 14,787,000 16,936,000 18,620,000 
			 Southend 8,867,000 10,222,000 10,653,000 13,096,000 15,107,000 
			 Suffolk 22,845,000 23,452,000 29,012,000 32,374,000 41,529,000 
			 Thurrock 7,425,000 7,788,000 8,774,000 9,979,000 11,076,000 
		
	
	
		
			   Budgeted net expenditure on the education of children with special educational needs (£) 
			  Local authority name  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			 England 4,120,549,000 4,481,245,000 4,863,604,000 5,094,462,000 5,188,035,000 
			   
			 East of England GOR 393,061,000 431,678,000 473,841,000 512,326,000 525,968,000 
			   
			 Pre-LGR Bedfordshire 27,455,000 31,224,000 32,013,000 32,719,000 - 
			 Bedford Borough - - - - 12,814,000 
			 Central Bedfordshire - - - - 19,468,000 
			 Cambridgeshire 45,120,000 47,217,000 48,756,000 51,210,000 49,710,000 
			 Essex 87,946,000 96,982,000 103,046,000 126,001,000 131,637,000 
			 Hertfordshire 75,794,000 79,344,000 87,928,000 93,423,000 95,860,000 
			 Luton 17,431,000 21,541,000 23,164,000 22,377,000 22,466,000 
			 Norfolk 48,604,000 51,472,000 60,953,000 69,471,000 71,983,000 
			 Peterborough 20,337,000 23,188,000 24,838,000 23,747,000 24,273,000 
			 Southend 15,810,000 19,076,000 21,469,000 21,455,000 23,113,000 
			 Suffolk 43,991,000 50,159,000 57,750,000 58,210,000 55,134,000 
			 Thurrock 10,574,000 11,475,000 13,926,000 13,712,000 19,509,000 
			 Notes:  1. The data are drawn from local authorities Section 52 Budget Statements (Tables 1 and 2) submitted to the DCSF (formally the DfES).  2. Includes planned expenditure on the provision for pupils with statements and the provision for non-statemented pupils with SEN, support for inclusion, inter authority recoupment, fees for pupils at independent special schools and abroad, educational psychology service, local authority functions in relation to child protection, therapies and other health related services, parent partnership, guidance and information, the monitoring of SEN provision and inclusion administration, assessment and co-ordination. Also included is the funding delegated to nursery, primary and secondary schools identified as notional SEN and the individual schools budget (ISB) for special schools.  3. The ISB for special schools will include some general education costs for pupils with SEN in addition to those costs specifically for SEN while the figures recorded against notional SEN are only indicative of the amount that might by spent by schools on SEN and, from 2004-05 onwards, notional SEN delegated to nursery schools was reported on Section 52 for the first time (nursery schools notional SEN accounts for £7.8 million, £9.5 million, £10.4 million, £11.1 million and £11.7 million of the respective 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09 England totals). In 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09 local authorities in England also budgeted £499.6 million, £528.5 million, £554.9 million and £552.6 million for SEN transport expenditure but this is not included in the above table as figures are not available prior to 2005-06.  4. Bedfordshire LA ceased to exist and became two new authorities (Bedford Borough and Central Bedfordshire) as part of the LGR on 1 April 2009.  5. Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand pounds and may not sum due to rounding. Cash terms figures as reported by local authorities as at 23 October 2009.

Sure Start Programme: Birmingham

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many Sure Start centres are  (a) open and  (b) planned to open in Birmingham.

Dawn Primarolo: Birmingham local authority has 69 designated Sure Start Children's Centres, with plans for a further six centres to be designated by March 2010.
	We are on track to achieve our target of at least 3,500 Sure Start Children's Centres by March 2010, offering access to services for all children under five and their families. As of 31 August 2009 there were 3,059 centres operational in England, providing access to services for over 2.4 million children and their families.

Teachers: Pensions

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether he plans to amend the Teachers' Pension Scheme entitlements for scheme members on high salaries.

Vernon Coaker: The provisions of public service pension schemes, including the Teachers' Pension Scheme, are kept under review to ensure they are appropriate and sustainable at all levels.

Teachers: Training

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many entrants to undergraduate teacher training courses did not have any qualifications at A2 level or higher in the latest year for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: The available information is given in the table and shows the number and percentage of entrants to undergraduate initial teacher training (ITT) courses by their highest qualification on entry. Qualifications included in the Other category might be higher than A-level and can include trainees who have A-levels. Information relating specifically to entrants with no qualifications at advanced level is not available.
	Undergraduate trainees represent 24 per cent. of trainees on mainstream ITT courses in 2007/08.
	
		
			  Undergraduate entrants to ITT courses by their highest qualification on entry 2007/08, England 
			   Mainstream  Employment based 
			  Highest qualification on entry  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 With A or AS 4,330 57.9 0 0.0 
			 GNVQ 10 0.1 0 0.0 
			 Access 580 7.8 0 0.0 
			 Other 2,570 34.3 150 100.0 
			 Total 7,480 100.0 150 100.0 
			  Notes:  1. Mainstream includes universities and other higher education institutes and Open University, but excludes employment based ITT (EBITT).  2. EBITT includes trainees through the Registered Teacher Programme.  3. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source:  TDA 's Performance Profiles

Teachers: Training

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which providers of initial teacher training have had their number of teacher training places reduced by  (a) his Department and its predecessors or  (b) the Training and Development Agency in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: The Department sets national targets for initial teacher training (ITT) recruitment. ITT place numbers for 2005/06 to 2009/10 are given in the table and have been published as part of Statistical First Release 26/2008: School Workforce in England at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000813/index.shtml
	
		
			  Number of ITT places: Years: 2005/06 to 2009/10, Coverage: England 
			   2005/06  2006/07  2007/08  2008/09  2009/10 
			 Primary 15,800 15,300 14,800 17,460 18,050 
			 Secondary 18,500 17,500 16,500 19,385 18,120 
			 Primary and secondary 34,300 32,800 31,300 36,845 36,170 
			  Note: Number of places prior to 2008/09 include School Centred ITT but excludes Employment Based ITT (EBITT). Targets for 2008/09 onwards include EBITT, but exclude Teach First.  Source:  DCSF 
		
	
	The Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) allocates ITT places to individual providers based on the national target. The table shows the number of accredited ITT providers that were allocated fewer places compared with the previous academic year.
	
		
			  ITT providers: Decrease in allocated places: Years: 2005/06 to 2009/10, Coverage: England 
			   2005/06  2006/07  2007/08  2008/09  2009/10 
			  Accredited ITT providers allocated fewer places when compared with the previous year:  
			 Number 66 127 157 142 103 
			 Percentage of all accredited ITT providers 28.1 54.0 67.4 61.7 45.0 
			  Source:  TDA's Trainee Numbers Census 
		
	
	A table showing the number of ITT places allocated to each accredited ITT provider for each of the last six years has been placed in the Library.

Teachers: Training

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many providers of initial teacher training have requested an increase in the number of teacher training places in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: The table shows the number of accredited initial teacher training (ITT) providers who requested a net year-on-year increase in ITT places across all subjects in a particular phase during each of the last two bidding rounds covering the academic years 2006/07 to 2010/11.
	
		
			  Number of ITT providers that requested an increase in their place allocation across all subjects by phase, 2006/07 to 2010/11, England 
			   Number of ITT providers 
			   Bidding round for 
			   2006/07  2007/08  2008/09  2009/10  2010/11 
			 Mainstream  
			 Primary 43 23 73 28 22 
			 Secondary 73 27 67 55 41 
			 Employment Based 58 - 62 28 19 
			  Notes: 1. Figures presented in the table do not reflect separate bids for individual subjects.  2. Although providers may have bid for additional places, it does not mean that their request was granted.  3. The numbers for mainstream primary and secondary providers are not mutually exclusive so should not be aggregated.  4. For the employment based bidding exercise, a providers request for an increase for 2007/08 would, if granted, be counted in the inter-bidding round. 
		
	
	The number of providers who were allocated additional places is given in the table.
	
		
			  Number of ITT providers allocated additional places, 2006/07 to  2010/11, England 
			   Mainstream  Employment based 
			 2006/07 51 40 
			 2007/08 59 47 
			 2008/09 29 46 
			 2009/10 92 49 
			 2010/11 70 28 
			  Notes: 1. The year relates to the allocation for that academic year, not when the change was made.  2. Figures for 2009/10 and 2010/11 include providers who received extra primary places as a result of the additional bidding exercise held in summer 2008.

Travelling People: Computers

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many laptops have been issued to Travellers under the E-LAMP scheme since its inception; and at what cost to the public purse.

Vernon Coaker: Since the inception of the E-Learning and Mobility Project in 2003 856 laptops have been loaned to mobile Gypsy and Traveller children at a cost of £481,600. The laptops are owned by the participating local authority's Traveller Education Support Service. The service will recover and reallocate the laptops when pupils leave the area or end their statutory education.

Young People: Voluntary Work

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps his Department is taking to support voluntary sector youth projects in promoting constructive activities for young people in the Milton Keynes Council area.

Vernon Coaker: The allocation through the DCSF Youth Sector Development Fund to MaD, Make a Difference, based in Milton Keynes, is £191,000 in FY 2009-10 and £179,000 in FY 2010-11.
	The 'Make a Difference' project is providing a range of sports, arts and other activities including a Saturday night dry nightclub for young people aged 13 to 19 years. The project is targeting the most disadvantaged areas of the city. Services are focusing specifically on providing activities on Friday and Saturday nights, and the project aims to reach 1,000 young people.
	Milton Keynes' share of the Positive Activities for Young People (PAYP) budget was £251,000 in 2008-09 with an increase to £269,000 in 2009-10 and £560,000 in 2010-11.
	This funding is provided to local authorities (LA) for all the year round provision of developmental and diversionary activities-targeted at those young people most at risk of poor outcomes. This is part of the Area Based Grant-giving the LA the flexibility to determine locally how best to spend the investment and the chance to use it to enhance a multi-agency response to the complex needs of at risk young people. Voluntary sector providers will play a key role as partners and providers, but is for the LA-through its children's trust arrangements to decide which projects should be funded.
	Milton Keynes receives a total of £113,000 Youth Opportunities Fund (YOF) and £131,000 Youth Capital Fund (YCF) per annum.
	Voluntary sector organisations are key partners in delivering YOF/YCF in local areas, both as an advisory role to young decision makers and in extending the reach of the funds within communities. Their continued and enhanced involvement is considered key to engaging those young people who do not normally participate. In Milton Keynes 79 per cent. of the successful grants in 2008-09 were awarded to young people involved in voluntary sector youth projects.

Youth Inclusion Programmes

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much each local authority  (a) has spent on youth inclusion programmes in each year since their inception and  (b) plans to spend on such programmes in each of the next five years; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the programmes.

Vernon Coaker: A local authority breakdown of this funding can be provided only at disproportionate cost. The total expenditure on YIP by the Youth Justice Board (YJB) between 2000 and 2006 is as follows. These figures include grants made to the voluntary sector.
	
		
			   £ 
			 2000-01 3,644,381.00 
			 2001-02 4,761,939.00 
			 2002-03 5,047,370.00 
			 2003-04 5,246,411.00 
			 2004-05 5,769,289.00 
			 2005-06 5,510,000.00 
		
	
	The overall expenditure, including YJB funding, on YIPs, between 2000 and 2006 is as follows. These figures demonstrate how the YJB grant draws in partnership funding from other sources, such as the local authority and other local and national funding streams including through the third sector.
	
		
			   £ 
			 2000-01 8,194,262.00 
			 2001-02 10,686,660.00 
			 2002-03 11,729,657.00 
			 2003-04 12,299,890.00 
			 2004-05 13,533,310.00 
			 2005-06 12,396,740.00 
		
	
	From 2006, funding allocations for YIPs have been accounted for as part of the YJB's overall prevention grant to Youth Offending Teams (YOTs). This includes funding for other prevention programmes.
	An independent national evaluation in 2003/06 of the YIP programme found that:
	of the four targets for the programme, YIPs exceeded one, narrowly missed one, and fell short on two; however,
	arrest rates for the engaged target group considered to be most at risk of crime in each YIP went down by 66.5 per cent.,
	of those who had not offended previously but who were at high risk, 74 per cent. did not go on to be arrested after engaging with a YIP.
	A report of the evaluation is available on the Youth Justice Board's website at:
	http://www.yjb.gov.uk/Publications/Resources/Downloads/Evaluation%20of%20the%20Youth%20lnclusion%20Programme% 20-%20Phase%202%20(Summary).pdf